Cracks in the Heart
by DaniPopplers
Summary: When Rose is pulled through a crack in the skin of the universe back to the Doctor's universe, all she can think of is returning to her life in the alternate universe with John. She lands in the garden of a young Amelia Pond who is waiting for the Doctor to return for her. Can she really leave this little girl all alone? AU/Reunion of Rose and Eleven. Rewrite of Rose in Season 5.
1. The Girls the Doctor Left Behind

She felt the pull on her wrist and the uncomfortable lurch behind her navel indicating she had entered the time vortex. She kept her eyes tightly shut and tried to ignore the building nausea and rising panic. Her manipulator had a mind of its own at the moment. What was happening? She felt like a rag doll dragged through time and space. She had done this before, plenty of times. Part of the job description. But this was different. She felt like a rubber band stretched too thin, pressure on her body and mind increasing to agonizing levels.

Then the band snapped. Her body felt limp. She felt the break down to her core, the sudden disorienting loss of everything familiar. Her mind felt suddenly hollow. Any familiar humming or wavelengths abruptly disappeared. She felt alone. So alone. Why was she alone? She hadn't been alone in years.

And why was she still moving for that matter? She was still hurtling through the vortex- she could tell because the nausea hadn't reached critical mass yet. She knew she was going to be sick. So very sick. Suddenly, the world stopped moving.

She fell to her knees hard, her palms slamming into the dirt as she became violently sick. Somewhere in the back of her now silent brain her mind registered the dirt as unfamiliar. She had been in the lab. And she had been aiming for the prison. Dirt should never have been a part of the equation.

She continued to dry heave into the dirt for a few more moments before she felt safe enough to open her eyes. Blearily she opened her eyes to dirt and grass wet with sick. She tilted her head up and scanned her surroundings. She appeared to be in a backyard of some sort. There was a shed in the corner. Grass and a small fence.

As exposed as she was, she didn't think she could handle moving quite yet and collapsed into the grass to the side of her vomit. No need to get herself dirtier. She laid on her back, gazing up at the sky-night she registered. It was dark. _The stars aren't in the right place_ was her last coherent thought before she fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

When she regained consciousness, it was light out. She couldn't move yet. She still felt quite disoriented. She blinked a few times to wake up her mind. Silence. That's all she heard. Refusing to allow herself to panic, she cautiously reached out with her mind. Still silence. Swallowing down the rising terror she pushed her mind farther. Reaching, searching for anything that would place her. Nothing.

She hadn't felt silence in years. Gingerly she sat up in the dirt and looked around. In the daytime it was more mundane than it had looked in the dark. A rather large home sat behind her. It appeared empty. She scanned back over to the shed she remembered seeing before blacking out. Except it wasn't there. Wait no, it was there, just crushed. It looked like something had landed on it.

She grinned ruefully, stubbornly refused to acknowledge the fear in the back of her mind, and shakily attempted to get to her feet. She wobbled a bit, her hands out to catch herself should she take a tumble, but she managed to stay upright. Taking a few deep breaths, she straightened and started patting herself down to see what she had on her. She needed to make sure she was equipped for…whatever this would be. Luckily she had been geared up for a jump to the prison to check on Prisoner Zero. Vortex Manipulator? Check. Sonic? Check. Stun gun and handcuffs? Double check. She could more than handle herself if it came to a fight.

"No need to get ahead of yourself," she muttered sternly. It wouldn't come to that. A jump had just gone wrong. That's all. So what if she hadn't missed a jump in years. Or that she heard only silence in her head. Maybe she was just too far. Out of range. _That's never been a problem before_ a sneaky voice in the back of her mind reminded her and she quickly squashed that train of thought. No need to go there.

She glanced back at the flattened shed and noticed something she hadn't seen before. A little lump of blue was curled over on what appeared to be a suitcase in front of the ruins of the shed. The closer she got to the lump, it started taking the shape of a little girl. A little redheaded girl in a blue coat and large hat, fast asleep on a suitcase. She smiled softly at the sleeping form and bent down close to the suitcase.

"If you're trying to run away, you didn't get very far," she remarked quietly. The little girl's eyes sprang open and she sat up with a jerk. Frantically she glanced around and bit her lip quizzically.

"He said he'd be right back. He said five minutes. He promised." The girl looked so distraught that she decided to be nice.

"Well that wasn't very nice. Is that your brother or…?"

"No." The little girl looked up at her suspiciously. "Are you with him?"

"Who's 'him' sweetheart?" She tried to keep her voice calm and soothing. Obviously this girl was very upset.

"You'd know if you were with him. He came to fix the crack in my wall. Santa sent him"

Internally, she decided it must just be a dream the poor girl must've had. Sleep walked her way down here with a little suitcase and fell back asleep. She gently helped her back up off the suitcase and smiled at her.

"What's your name?"

"Amelia. Amelia Pond."

The woman nodded thoughtfully.

"That's a lovely name. Sounds like a fairy tale character!"

Amelia frowned at her. "That's what he said too".

"What did he say?"

"He said my name was a fairy tale character's name. Like from a story." The girls face became suspicious again. "Are you sure you're not with him?"

The woman shrugged and bent down to pick up the suitcase. "No, I'm on my own. Is this your house Amelia Pond?"

Amelia nodded and glanced up at the house, remembering what her manners said she should do. "Would you like to come in?"

"Why not?" the woman replied and held out her hand. Amelia took it and looked up at her.

"What's your name?"

The woman paused for a moment, not sure how to respond. The prison she had been intending to reach was not somewhere she used her real name. But she hadn't made it there. She had landed here. Internally agreeing the risk was minimal, she decided to stick to the truth.

"Rose Tyler".

Amelia led Rose into her house and took her to the kitchen, which was covered in dirty dishes and food scraps. The smells of several very different kinds of food mingling together assaulted her nose. It wasn't unpleasant per say…but it was certainly not expected.

"What happened here, huh?" Rose ribbed Amelia gently, hoping to elicit a giggle and set down the suitcase in the hallway. Instead of smiling, Amelia looked down at the ground forlorn. Rose bit her lip, immediately feeling bad.

"I made the Raggedy Man food because he couldn't decide what he liked. He kept saying everything tasted wrong."

"Is that the man who promised he'd be right back?"

Amelia nodded, looking at the floor.

"Did you find him something he did like?"

Amelia started to grin impishly and nodded again, her smile hidden.

"Well ok then. What did you make him? I'm famished, I might want to have some! If it's good enough for Mr. Picky Raggedy Man than it should be good enough for me"

Amelia raised her face to Rose with the grin still in place. "Fish sticks and custard" she answered. She looked like she was almost daring her to agree to have some. Rose scrunched up her nose and grinned.

"Oh, no thank you! How about this- you and I will clean up this place together and I'll make us something proper to eat for breakfast. A proper English breakfast! Wait…we are in England aren't we?"

Amelia rolled her eyes as Rose began to tidy up the kitchen. "Yes".

"But you're Scottish?"

"Yes."

"Hmm", Rose continued to clean and Amelia began to pull out the eggs and remaining few bacon strips from the fridge. "Why are you here then? And where are your parents? Surely two adults shouldn't take over your kitchen without them noticing, even if one of them is cleaning it"

"I don't have parents. I live with my…with my…" Her face screwed up with concentration as she tried to remember. The Raggedy Man had asked her that same question. She'd had an answer for him then. But now… "I live by myself".

Rose frowned and began to busy herself with the eggs as Amelia started on a pot of tea. She was much too young to live by herself. She covertly looked over at Amelia, but she seemed perfectly serene with her answer. She didn't seem troubled or worried at all. A little girl all alone in this big empty house. Waiting for a strange man to come and take her away no less.

"Well aren't you a little young to live alone?"

Amelia shook her head again. "No, I've always lived alone. I think."

Rose completed the eggs and bacon and brought them over to the table for the two of them. They ate in silence for a few minutes as Rose tried to piece together the situation. A little girl lived alone in a giant house and she had thought a man would take her away last night, but obviously she had been dreaming. Or some grown man had really wanted to take her away. That was not a train of thought she wanted to continue with.

More to the point, what was she going to do? She still had no clue as to why she had landed here instead of the prison. They must have noticed her absence by now. But that didn't explain the excruciating pain of her time jump. Nor the silence in her mind. It was never silent. And that was worrying her. In the silence of breakfast chewing, she tried again to reach out her mind to connect with…something. Someone. Anyone. She tried not to panic at the lack of answer.

Ok, what are the options? Option 1: attempt to return to the last known rendezvous point. That would provide her with answers and safety, while she tried to figure out what happened to her. Option 2: try to contact someone through the time vortex, to let them know her current positioning and await pick up. This was the slightly less desirable choice. She might be stranded for longer than she would like, and the message might not reach anyone in time. Or at all. And lastly, option 3: stay exactly where she is. Remain quiet and blend in and try to ascertain what happened to her jump from her side. Leaving no answers and no contact. And with the silence in her head…that was a terrifying option.

Silently, Rose began to form a semblance of a plan. She would attempt a jump. Or at the very least, try to hack her manipulator into outputting more information. She had the sonic after all. His sonic… _No we aren't thinking about that_ , she reminded herself firmly. If that failed, she would send out a message through the vortex and hope the right people heard it. She could amplify and aim the message a bit better with the sonic's help. She hoped it would reach them before too long. She didn't fancy staying here longer than necessary.

Guiltily, she stole a glance at a happily chomping Amelia. She was all alone here in this great big house. That still didn't seem right to her, but what could she do about it? Option 3 required her to stay put…and the jump had landed her quite literally in this girls backyard. Not to mention, a huge house with only one little girl meant a greater amount of privacy from prying eyes, and questions. She really didn't want to take that option, but the guilt at leaving a girl all alone to fend for herself was a little more than Rose was used to imagining. Maybe it'll only be for a few days. Then the message would be received and she could figure out where to go from there.

"Amelia, would it be alright if I stayed with you for a little while? Since you're all alone in this big house anyways?"

Amelia grinned and nodded enthusiastically, but then suddenly became solemn.

"It can't be forever though. The Raggedy Man is coming back. I'll leave with him when he comes back."

Rose nodded her head in mock seriousness. "Of course, I understand. When he returns, I won't stand in the way".

Both of them broke into mirroring smiles over the breakfast table and continued with their breakfast.

* * *

Rose was standing outside in the garden, glaring at the Vortex Manipulator on her wrist, mumbling under her breath.

"Work, damn you", she huffed and blew some strands of gold hair out of her face in exasperation. She was pointing the sonic directly at her wrist, willing something to happen. She had tried over a dozen settings so far, but nothing had worked.

She was trying to get a read out from the manipulator that would help her make sense of her location. A very quizzical Amelia had told her it was Leadworth, England in 1996. Not exactly Rose's best year. She soniced her wrist a few more times and continued to glare at the manipulator.

"Come on", she muttered and willed the manipulator to do something. It spluttered and popped out a set of numbers on the screen. She blinked a few times at her wrist and then froze in place. Cold dread began to trickle down the back of her neck and she felt panic rising in her throat like bile. No wait, actual bile. She fell to her hands and knees, and for the second time in 24 hours, retched up the entire contents of her stomach.

This could not be happening. She wiped her mouth on the back of her hand and sat back on her heels. With shaking hands, she raised the sonic to the manipulator and tried the same frequency that had gotten her results as before, praying that it would change. It had to change. Those numbers couldn't be right, they just couldn't. She activated the sonic and held her breath, her whole body tensed in terrified anticipation.

The same numbers popped up on the screen again.

Her mouth began to quiver and her eyes stood open and unmoving, watering with tears she was unaware were forming. Her entire body soon followed her mouth in shaking and she heard a terrible deep rasping screech. Oh, that's right, it was coming from her. That was the only way to explain the vibrating resonating in her chest. Her stomach continued to clench in terror and she began to hyperventilate, holding onto herself for support as her body convulsed in on itself, as though to shrinking would save her from this fate.

She was back. Back in his world. In the world she was born in. And it was the last place she wanted to be.

* * *

It could have been minutes, hours, or days that Rose laid in that garden. When she could finally bring herself to move from the fetal position she was curled in, half her body was asleep and she was numb with cold. The sky above her was dusky and the first beginnings of starlight were showing above her. Somewhere in her mind, she remembered she was supposed to be with the little girl. Amelia. That's her name.

She roused herself more and rubbed her hands down her arms to increase her blood flow. She accidently glanced down at her wrist and shuddered at the number still displayed there. Well, that explained the silence in her mind. She was locked out. Away from him. In another universe. She supposed that also might explain the increasing pain and subsequent snapping sensation she experienced during the jump. But that was nothing, nothing compared to the crushingly loud silence.

Was he as worried as she was? Was it silent for him there too? She almost scoffed at herself if she hadn't have been so distraught. Of course he was panicked. Of course he could hear the silence. He probably felt her absence the minute she crossed over in the vortex. She could imagine him frantically searching for a way over, or a way to bring her back, raging at those who stood in his way. Mussing his hair and banging his head against a wall and positively screaming at anyone who'd interrupt him. Those dark eyes of his go positively black whenever he worried for her. She imagined his eyes devoid of any white at all at this situation.

She drew a shuddering breath and stood to make her way back to the house, her arms still wrapped tightly around herself. She could make out Amelia in the open doorway.

"You looked sad, so I thought I'd leave you alone. I made some tea."

Rose managed a weak smile for her benefit and made her way to the living room to collapse on the couch. Amelia came in holding two rather large mismatched mugs containing steaming liquid and placed them proudly on the table "Tea next to the couch. Rose took the one closest and wrapped her hands around it, willing herself to get warm. Amelia quietly took the other mug and sat down next to Rose, pulling her legs up under herself.

"Tea fixes everything. That's what my...my..." she scrunched up her face in concentration and then it abruptly cleared. "That's what I always hear people say."

Rose barely registered the girls hesitation. She was barely listening at all. After a few moments of painful silence, Amelia reached for the afghan over the back of the couch and threw it over Rose and herself. She tentatively leaned into Rose's side and out of habit or panic or both, Rose felt her arm instinctively wrap around the little girl. Amelia's small hand grasped hers.

"It'll be ok Rose."

And with those sweet, innocent words, Rose allowed herself to come undone.

* * *

When Rose woke in the morning, she and Amelia were still curled on the couch together. One of them had the foresight to remove the mugs back to the table and they both were covered snugly in the afghan. Rose allowed herself a small smile at the pure domesticity of her present situation.

This was something she had never imagined. Never pictured. They had never talked of settling down. Having children. They enjoyed what they did too much. They loved their work, and their lives, but most of all, each other. Her hand absently went to the chain on her neck, secured under her clothing. She pulled it out and stared at the item dangling from it, trying not to cry. _Look at it clinically Tyler, dissect it. That will keep you from losing it again_ , she told herself firmly.

At the end of the chain was a tiny piece of TARDIS coral in a glass vial. It was yellowed and roughened, torn from the original small hunk that… _he_ …had given them. It was starting to produce crumbs that collected at the bottom of the vial like golden dust. Must be from her wearing it continually. Probably from her running.

John had given it to her on their first anniversary. It had been exactly a year since he had dropped them off on that beach. One year to the tee since their first kiss, their first fight, and their first make up. She still twinged a little internally whenever she thought back to that day, but on that one year mark, he was trying everything he could to make it seem wonderful in retrospect. He pulled out all the stops and said all the best lines in his smoothest voice, subconsciously pleading with her to change the way she viewed that day. And him. Always him. She could practically hear him pleading for her to _see me! See me, not him_ in the subtext of every statement he said.

She had not been easy that first year. She put up walls around her heart and around her mind, and kept him at a casual, flirty distance. He was easy to flirt with. Easy to get along with. She grinned ruefully, staring at the coral. Easy to fall in love with. Of course he was. Of course he would be, considering who he was a carbon copy of. She remembered that first night at her flat with him still, and winced remembering how she handled it. No one should have allowed her to take him to her flat that first night. She shouldn't have been alone, and certainly not alone with him. Maybe they had thought he was company enough. She had screamed and ranted, thrown everything in reach at him while he pleaded with her to understand, to listen. After a while he just stood there silently while she raged at him for allowing this. How could he agree to be left behind? How could he think this was a good idea? She would never love John the way she loved him! He could never be the same to her! How dare he!

When she had screamed herself out, and run out of things to throw in her vicinity, she had slumped back against the wall, exhausted. He had calmly walked over to her, and scooped her up into his arms, while she struggled against him, incoherent with tears blurring her vision.

"Rose, I'm not going to fight you. But I do need you to listen." God she hated how he said her name those first few weeks. So much like he had said it. She almost couldn't bare to look at him those first few days. His eyes were so intense every time she met them that it felt as though he was searing into her soul, seeing all the broken pieces of her heart.

"Rose, whether you believe it or not, I am not him. You know that. I know you know that, because you kissed me on that beach instead of him." She had started to interrupt him, to explain that it was just the emotion of the moment; that he was just the one closest, but he put a finger to her lips, keeping the other secure around her waist.

"I could never be him. The moment I was created, our paths diverged and I ceased to be a Time Lord. But I still have all the same memories and emotions…feelings. I meant what I said on that beach. I love you Rose Tyler. And I will wait for you to love me back." He had grinned ruefully at her and she hadn't met his eyes. "I'm not even a day old, but my memories are over 900 years old. I remember how to be patient."

He had spent that year trying to build a relationship with her, building a new sonic, working for Torchwood, and most importantly, growing a new TARDIS. John had been confident in the beginning that growing it would be easy, especially with Donna's hints, but as the months wore on, she could see the mounting worry behind his eyes whenever she asked about it.

He presented her with the vial of TARDIS on their one year anniversary.

"It wouldn't grow." He had explained sadly as he held it up to her. "I know I can never give you that life again, like we had hoped. But I thought I could give you the TARDIS this way".

She had teared up a little at the lost dream, and the thoughtfulness of the gift. She had kissed him deeply after he attached the chain around her neck and that night they made passionate love to chase away the memories.

She kissed the vial and tucked it back into her shirt, not noticing the slight glow that emanated from the coral inside when her lips touched the vial. Gently she nudged the sleeping Amelia.

"Hey. Good morning sweetheart. Did you sleep ok?"

Amelia didn't move off of Rose, but instead stretched across the couch and rubbed her eyes with her fists, yawning.

"Yeah, I slept ok."

"Good" she replied and then frowned slightly at a thought that entered her head. "Do you have…er…school or something today?" She was decidedly out of practice taking care of children. Amelia looked up at her from her lap with a puzzled smile on her face.

"No, it's Sunday." She said with a 'duh' tone of voice, and sat up from her sprawled position to make her way upstairs. She paused at the bottom step. "If you'd like, you can take my…my…" She searched desperately for the word but came up empty. "You can take the big room upstairs if you want."

Rose, noting the hesitation, stood up and nodded silently. There was something affecting Amelia's memory when it came to the mention of others living in the house, but she didn't want to push it, so instead she followed her upstairs and took the room she gestured toward.

Rose watched Amelia enter her room across the hall, aptly marked with drawings and pictures stating that this was _Amelia's Bedroom_. Rose grinned to herself and pushed the door open to her room and paused in the doorway to survey the area. It was a comfortably large bedroom. A large plushy bed was in the middle with a large quilt covering the top. A series of mismatched dressers and end tables took up the wall space. What struck Rose was the feeling of pause in the room. There were still clothes folded on the dresser, waiting to be put away. Shoes were stacked next to the door as if the previous occupant had just toed them off. The bed wasn't quite made, and various personal effects littered the table tops: a half used lotion bottle, a red scarf, a pair of earrings.

Rose entered the room cautiously, still half expecting someone to pop out and ask what she was doing in their room. It so obviously belonged to someone. Someone that Amelia couldn't remember. She went to sit carefully on the bed and noticed a picture on the bedside table. It was of Amelia and a kind looking woman, both smiling happily at the camera in front of a birthday cake. Who was this woman? Rose carefully picked up the frame to study it as Amelia opened the door and came rushing into the bedroom. Startled, Rose placed the picture, frame down, on the table.

"What is it Amelia?"

Amelia bit her lip, suddenly, unsure if this woman would understand.

"The crack in my bedroom wall is gone! The Raggedy Man got rid of it!"

Rose tilted her head and studied Amelia. She was obviously relieved with this turn of events. She had been so caught up with her own terror at being trapped on the wrong side of the void that she had completely forgotten about this Raggedy Man and the crack in Amelia's bedroom wall. The one who had eaten fish sticks and custard and ruined her kitchen. The one who had promised to take her away. Rose stood up from the bed and held out her hand to Amelia.

"I'm glad it's gone. Why don't you show me where it was, yeah?"

Amelia nodded and took Rose's hand, leading her into her bedroom and pointed at the empty space of blue wall. Rose noted the desk that was pushed up in the corner, and figured that it had been removed to reach this crack. Probably by this Raggedy Man. It was too large for Amelia to move on her own. So…not a dream then. Rose took out his…the sonic, and ran it indiscriminately over the empty expanse of wall. It wouldn't do to think of John at the moment. Rose pulled it back and looked at the readings it was putting it out.

"This is putting off residual void energy. But that's impossible…" she said, almost to herself. Amelia peered around too look at her and gasped when she realized what Rose was holding.

"He had that too! He used it to fix the crack!"

Rose whipped her head around at Amelia, her face frozen. She tried to remain emotionless, but Amelia could see the fear rise up behind her dark eyes.

"What? Who did? This Raggedy Man? Amelia, he had one of these?" She rushed over and got to her knees on Amelia's level and held up the sonic closely for her to inspect. "You're saying he had one of these? Be very very careful Amelia. Study it. Did he have what I'm holding in my hand? This is very important."

Amelia gently took it from her and activated it, revealing a lit blue tip. She bit her lip and nodded at Rose as she handed it back.

"Yes, that's what the Raggedy Man had with him. He used it to close the crack."

Rose sat back on her heels in shock. He was here. _He_ was here. But that was impossible. _Well not technically impossible_ a small voice in the back of her mind reminded her. _You are in his universe now_. In all of her panic and fear at the thought of being trapped on this side, she hadn't considered that she could run into him. She had only thought of returning to John and her universe. The one she had struggled to make a life in. She had fought tooth and nail for that life and she wasn't about to give it up. Rose glanced at Amelia, her mouth slightly open in shock.

"Amelia, what did the Raggedy Man call himself?"

Amelia was unsure if she should answer. Rose looked like she could pass out again at any minute.

"He called himself the Doctor." Amelia immediately wished she hadn't answered, because the remaining color left in Rose's face drained away, leaving her pale as a sheet. Her eyes grew impossibly wide and began to water at the strain. She was staring at Amelia, not seeing her, looking straight through her. Amelia shifted between her feet uncomfortably, waiting for Rose to come back to her senses.

Rose felt as though someone had dropped her off a building. All the breath was knocked out of her and she was mentally reeling from this possibility. She had arrived two nights ago. Had he been here? When she had landed? When she was throwing up? She had been so close to him…She swallowed the hot terror down and blinked a few times, inadvertently causing a stray tear or two to fall. She didn't notice. She stood up and started to walk towards the other bedroom in a daze.

"Thank you Amelia. I think I'm going to take a shower. Give me a bit, yeah?"

Rose shut the door behind her when she reached the bedroom, not looking behind her. She leaned back against the door, spreading her palms against the cool wood, willing her hands to stop shaking. She spent a few moments in this state, hands pressed against the door behind her as though it could ground her. She felt like she would fall off the face of the Earth.

Slowly, she stood straight and made her way into the en suite bathroom she had noticed earlier. It still bore all the marks that someone used it regularly, but she wasn't noticing any of it. She turned on the tap and waited for the water to reach scalding hot levels. She didn't notice how red her hand was when she removed it from checking the temperature.

In a trance she unzipped her black utilitarian jump jacket and let it fall to the floor. She toed out of her military grade boots and pulled her black shirt over her head. She unclipped her utility belt and let it fall to the ground with a heavy clunk and unbuttoned her cargo pants and shimmied out of them. Stripped herself of her undergarments, she turned to the mirror as it started to fog up from the hot steam. She was blurry at the edges. Around her neck, the tiny piece of dead TARDIS was still visible in the mirror. She closed it tightly in her fist, removing it and gently dropped it on the counter neck to the sink. She missed the golden glow in her fist when she touched it.

Pulling back the shower curtain, she stepped into the tub and stood under the burning water, willing the scalding temperature to bring her back to consciousness. She needed to be able to think clearly. She could tell that she had to be there for herself, and Amelia should it come to that. This shower would be the only time she would allow herself to come undone. She wrapped her arms around herself, attempting to hold in the shattered pieces of herself, and slid down to sit in the bottom of the shower. She began to work through her thoughts.

She had given up any idea of seeing him years ago. She had spent 5 years in her universe. 5 years with John and 5 years of making that life work. She had succeeded in making herself happy there. She had worked so hard to find happiness again. Clawed her way out of depression with John's help. And she was happy. But…

She hated herself for the tiny thrill that had shot up her spine at his name. She shouldn't feel that way. She should never feel that way. She swore up and down that she hated him. That she would never want to see him again, even if it were possible and John had always nodded silently at her insistence, the same reserved look on his face. Why would she want to be with someone who had abandoned her over and over again? He had proven that he didn't love her, for all his flirting and words and smiles. John had proven he loved her. He had given up everything to stay with her and had stayed by her side even when she couldn't stand to look at him. He was the one who had picked up the pieces of herself that he had shattered and put them back together. He had made her whole again.

The Doctor had left her. And now he had left this sweet little girl. He had swooped in to rescue her and left as abruptly, breaking his promise to her. Just like he did to her. _Just like he always does_ she thought bitterly. He was never coming back for her. This impossibly alone girl was stuck here just as surely as Rose had been stuck in the alternate universe. Before it became her universe.

Rose tried to control the slight disappointment at the thought that she had come so close to seeing him again and missed it, and the competing satisfaction that he would never know she was here. He would never know how close he came to seeing her. But poor Amelia. He had promised her he would return.

Rose bit her lip and hugged her knees tighter to herself under the water. Amelia would spend years thinking he would return, just as she had. And she would inevitably be disappointed just as she was. But what should she do about it? What was there to be done? This girl was for all intents and purposes an orphan. She had no memory of anyone living in the house with her, but she felt as though she'd lived in the house her entire life.

Amelia could not be left on her own. She was too young to be on her own. And Rose didn't exactly have anywhere to go. Not anymore. Rose stood and turned off the water, as it slowly lost its heat. She pulled the shower curtain aside and grabbed the nearest towel as goosebumps raised over her body at the heat change. She toweled herself off and pulled back on her under garments, but looked at her jump gear. It would never do to keep wearing those things. That was her mission gear. She had been jumping to the prison, but it would never do in 1996 Leadworth. Sighing, she gathered it up in her arms and went back into the bedroom to hunt for something else to wear.

Whoever had lived in this room before her- Amelia's mom? Aunt? Sister? - had been close enough to her size that she could easily find some clothing to fit her. She chose a pair of dark wash skinny jeans, a little bigger than she would've preferred and pulled a plain long sleeve shirt over her head. She absently braided her wet hair behind her head and glanced went back to the bathroom mirror to inspect the final product.

Her eyes were no longer red from the crying she had done the previous night and her makeup had washed off in shower. She looked remarkably fresh-faced compared to what she was used to. In civilian clothes with no makeup and her hair pulled back, she looked like herself before she left this universe. She leaned close to the mirror and inspected her face. She usually wore makeup to cover up how young she still looked. She should have started getting lines now…John certainly had. It always unnerved her to look at herself without makeup. She wasn't entirely sure of how old she was now. She was 19 when she had started running with the Doctor. 2 years with him before she had been stranded. Then 4 years in the alternate universe trying to make her way back. That made her 25 when he had abandoned her again after they saved the stars from going out. 5 more years there with John. She should be close to 30 now, if not already there. But she still looked just as she did when the Doctor had picked her up all those years ago. John and her mother sometimes had commented on it, but Rose had always shrugged it off and secretly applied more makeup to hide it. It was becoming unnerving.

Shaking herself from her thoughts, she left the bedroom and closed it behind her. She could smell food cooking in the kitchen and made her way down the stairs to find Amelia preparing lunch with a serious look of concentration on her face. She paused when she saw Rose in the doorway, but continued with what she was doing.

"Do you feel better?"

Rose nodded and reminded herself sternly that she had had her moment to lose it. She had to be an adult again. She had a little girl to take care of. Despite the fact that Amelia had been taking care of her these last two days.

"Much better. A shower can solve anything", she remarked with a cheeky grin in Amelia's direction. She returned it and proudly sat down what she'd been cooking on the table.

"I made lunch. Fish sticks!" she said proudly and Rose sat down at the table.

"No custard, right?" Rose crinkled her nose again and Amelia giggled.

"No custard, promise. It's just all I had left in the fridge." Amelia shrugged, as though it wasn't a big deal to have no food in the house and started munching on her food. Rose began to eat watching her.

"Hey, how about after this, you and I go to the market to pick up a few things. Might be fun?"

Amelia nodded eagerly and continued to eat quietly. After a few moments she opened her mouth to ask a question and then snapped it shut again loudly. Rose looked up at her and raised an eyebrow in her direction, grinning. "Question?" Amelia nodded.

"Do you know the Doctor?" Rose sat back from her plate and regarded Amelia quietly. She knew that this was coming. She had prepped for it in the shower. _You already had your time. Now you have to be here for her_ , she reminded herself.

"Yeah. We used to travel together. A very long time ago." Amelia gazed at her in awe. She had actually traveled with him? Like she was going to do? Why wasn't she with him now?

"Why did you stop?"

Rose inhaled and narrowed her eyes slightly. "He broke his promise. So I didn't travel with him anymore."

Amelia bit her lip. "He promised he would take me with him. He promised he'd be back in five minutes and he'd take me with him."

Rose smiled at her kindly and reached across the able to take her hand. "The Doctor makes lots of promises. And he tries to keep them. He really does. But sometimes he can't." _The Doctor lies, Rule Number One_ , she thought a little bitterly, but squashed the feeling quickly. This was about Amelia.

Amelia frowned stubbornly at her. "But he fixed the crack in my wall. I asked Santa to send a policeman to fix it and he showed up in a blue box that said police and fixed the crack."

There is was again, that crack. The crack may be gone, but it was still putting off residual void energy. Rose had to ask.

"Amelia, why did that crack scare you?"

Amelia looked at her plate and pulled her hand from Roses to her lap. "It had a scary voice in it. And an eyeball."

Rose raised her eyebrows, her thoughts running through her mind beginning to make sense.

"What did the eyeball say, Amelia?" Noticing her hesitation Rose smiled at her again. "Hey, you can trust me, yeah?"

Amelia nodded. "He said 'Prisoner Zero has escaped'".

The swirling thoughts in Rose's mind finally clicked into place. Prisoner Zero. Her Torchwood had a deal with the Atraxi prison in her universe. They would do some bounty hunting for them if any prisoners or wanted criminals ended up on their side of the universe, and the Atraxi would allow them to house anyone there that they wanted and stayed well away from Earth. Sometimes they were after the same people, which was a happy coincidence. Sometimes the Atraxi wanted someone that she didn't feel deserved it. She would fight bitterly against that, but there was nothing she could do about it in the end, other than sit the mission out. John had been better at the bounty hunting than she was. He had never completely quenched his residual blood lust and bounty hunting and criminal chasing provided a Torchwood-if not Rose- sanctioned way to sate it.

Prisoner Zero was one of her catches. A shape shifting alien who could take any form as long as he had an imprint on someone's mind. He had had an imprint on hers when she had cornered him, and John had been forced to watch as she fought herself hand to hand, attempting to subdue him. He had been panicked. She still remembered him gripping his hair, screaming her name in terror as she grappled with, essentially, herself.

She had been jumping to check on Prisoner Zero when she had landed in Amelia Pond's garden. He must have escaped her Atraxi prison through the same crack she fell through, maybe even piggybacking on her. But then why was the Atraxi prison here looking for him? Did he come through before her and get caught again? By the parallel Atraxi? He would certainly deserve it, but that was terrible luck if that's what happened. She scoffed out loud and Amelia tilted her head at her, confused.

"Oh, sorry." Rose grinned sheepishly and went back to her thoughts.

Then why had the Atraxi been looking for him in a crack in Amelia's wall? That surely wasn't the same crack she came through? Maybe her manipulator had been confused on where she should land when she was pulled through to this universe and deposited her as close as it could get, or so it thought. The crack to the Atraxi prison must have been open when she landed. That meant she had landed before the Doctor had closed it. Was she lying in the garden when the Doctor arrived? Figured.

So if Prisoner Zero escaped from them as well- presumably from the crack in Amelia's wall- where was he now? She glanced at the stairs uneasily. Amelia followed her gaze.

"What?"

Rose tried to smile reassuringly. "Nothing. Prisoner Zero just made me remember some things, that's all." Rose stood up from the table quickly. "Stay here, yeah? I'll be right back."

Rose quickly went up the stairs and ran to the room where she'd left her gear. She strapped on her utility belt and pulled the sonic out. Cautiously, she stepped into the hallway and began to point the sonic at each room in turn. Amelia's room- just residual void energy. Her room- nothing. Room 3- nothing. Room 4- nothing. Room 5- nothing. She started to lower the sonic, but her instincts stopped her. _Look in the corner of your eye_ her instincts whispered. Her instincts sounded like John. She turned on her heel slowly, sonic pointed straight ahead and there it was. Door 6. She took a few steps towards it silently and soniced it. She held her breath as she waited for the results.

Nothing. The sonic didn't register any void energy or life forms. She let out the breath she'd been holding and relaxed slightly. There was a perception filter on that room though. She wouldn't have noticed it if she hadn't had specific training with perception filters. She tried the knob and found it locked. She thought about breaking down the door, but the sonic never lied. Why would it? Sighing, she threw her gear back into the-her- bedroom and made her way back downstairs to Amelia. She smiled at Amelia.

"Just forgot something upstairs."

Amelia nodded, not quite believing her, but she trusted Rose. She didn't act like other adults. She acted much more like the Raggedy Doctor did. Rose paused in the kitchen doorway.

"So Amelia, I have a very serious question for you."

Amelia nodded seriously, and Rose continued.

"Would it be alright if I stayed with you for a while? At least until the Doctor comes back for you?"

Amelia's face broke into a grin and she nodded enthusiastically. Rose grinned at her and sat back down at the table and grabbed another fish stick. The two girls the Doctor left, taking care of each other. Rose knew he would never come back for her. He had saved her and taken off, just like he always did. But Rose would stay with her, at least until she could figure out how to make it back to her universe.

Rose winked at her. "How about you bring out some of that custard? Might as well try it."


	2. The Eleventh Hour: Part One

Rose hastily shoveled her breakfast into her mouth as Amy watched her, a bemused expression on her face.

"You're gonna choke if you don't slow down."

Rose glared up at her over her eggs and grabbed her tea, already in a travel mug, thanks to Amy's foresight.

"Oh shut up," she mumbled out through her full mouth, without any real malice to it. Amy laughed at the sight and rolled her eyes at Rose's attempts to swallow and put on her shoes at the same time. Running shoes. She never wore anything that wasn't practical.

"How late do you think you'll be out tonight?" Amy wondered as noticed Rose reach for her black backpack. Amy learned a long time ago not to look in the bag and not to ask questions specifically about what Rose did. When she was younger, she always imagined her as a super-secret spy or a special agent. She may have grown out of that imagination, but she still silently thought she was sort of right. Rose shrugged her shoulders and slipped the backpack on.

"I have no idea. I'll try to be home in time for dinner, yeah? Will you bring home take away?"

Amy shook her head and sighed at Rose's short attention span.

"No, I have plans with Rory! Or don't you remember?" Rose grinned at her mischievously, tongue in teeth, and snatched a piece of toast off Amy's plate. She stuffed it in her mouth and ran out the front door cackling.

"Oi! That was mine!" Amy called after her. Rose laughed and put her hand up in a goodbye wave without turning around.

"I know! See you later!"

"But what will you do about dinner?" Amy called at her retreating form.

"I'll figure something out" she yelled back. Amy sighed and went back inside her house to clean up the destroyed kitchen. Since Amy had graduated high school and taken a low key job as a kiss-a-gram, it had been her job to clean up breakfast. Rose had such early mornings. It was the least she could do.

While Amy tidied up the kitchen, her mind drifted to her date tonight with Rory- her sort of boyfriend. Rose had thought it was hilarious when Amy had come to her, shocked that Rory liked her. She had laughed and reminded her that she had predicted this from the moment she met Rory all those years ago. Rose had seen it all unfold and watched, knowing the inevitable result. Rose and Mels had a bet going on how long it would take the two of them to start dating. Mels had won.

Once the kitchen was tidied to a livable level, Amy took the stairs two at a time up to her room to change for work. Someone had requested a police woman. Again. This was becoming quite a favorite with the local blokes. She rolled her eyes as she pulled the mock uniform out of the drawer. A few weeks ago Rose had lent her some fishnet stockings to go under the skirt when Amy had remarked that her legs felt cold. First night she wore them, she doubled her tips. For someone with such practical everyday style, Rose certainly knew a thing or two when it came to high fashion. Further evidence for the super spy theory.

She was in the process of pulling off her shirt to change when she heard a distant rumbling noise, low and pulsating. She froze. She knew that noise. In the back of her mind, she knew that noise. Suddenly she heard a voice calling to her from the garden.

"Amelia! Amelia! I worked out what it was! I know what I was missing! You've gotta get out of there" She hastily pulled her shirt back on and flattened up against the wall. She heard the door open with a quiet whirring sound and she dove for the cricket bat under the bed. Gripping it tightly she peaked her head around the door frame. She could hear the man continue to call her name as he bounded up the stairs.

"Are you alright? Are you there?" he called. She didn't know this man, but he seemed quite intent on her. Was he the bloke she'd kissed for free at a party a few months ago? She rather hoped not. He hadn't been able to get her number but maybe he had tracked her down. She gripped the cricket bat tighter in her hands.

She heard the whirring sound as his feet stopped and heard him again. "Prisoner Zero is here. Prisoner Zero is here! Do you understand me?" She could glimpse the back of him now, trying to open the door at the end of the hall. The words rang a bell, but she couldn't quite place them. She wasn't risking it. She crept out of her room and down the hall while he continued to call for her. Holding the cricket bat like a mace, she waited for him to turn and whacked him across the face. He fell with a heavy thud onto the wood floors.

Amy internally started panicking. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and quickly dialed Rose.

"Please pick up…please pick up!" she muttered to herself while she waited. Answering machine. She cursed quietly, so as not to wake him and shoved her phone back into her pocket. Ok, what would Rose do? She paced the hall a tad, staring at the limp body of this stranger. In very raggedy clothes…

Her phone buzzed again. It was Rose calling back. She hastily grabbed it and answered.

"Rose! Help!"

"Did you rip your stockings for your costume again?" Amy scowled at the phone, momentarily distracted from her fear by Rose's greeting. Despite the fact that every time she answered Rose's call with that, it was a wardrobe emergency. Which they both knew. But whatever.

"What? No! There is a man here." Amy could feel the silence on the phone extend.

"So…"

"So there is a strange man here that let himself into our house!" Another pause.

"What did you do?"

Amy hissed in frustration. "I didn't do anything! Well apart from hitting him with a cricket bat, but that's because he came upstairs yelling for me!"

Worlds away, Rose pinched her nose and sighed. Amy was always attracted this sort of attention with her job. A town as small as Leadworth meant everyone could find everyone and she doubted that there was anyone who didn't know where she and Amy lived. However, they usually weren't bold enough to come into the house…

"Ok Amy, here's what you will do. Go into my room. In the top dresser drawer there are a pair of handcuffs with the keys in the lock. Grab them and cuff him to something sturdy, yeah? Not the stair rails, remember how you fell through them just last year? Maybe the radiator. That should hold him."

Amy was following her instructions carefully, dragging him over to the radiator with a grunt. He was heavier than he looked. Rose waited for her to ask what's next.

"Ok done. Now what?" Rose smiled slightly at her ability to predict Amy.

"Now I want you to go to your room and put on your police woman uniform. Wear the stockings so you're a little more covered." Amy pulled back from the phone to stare at it as though it were Rose, affronted.

"Oi! What's wrong with being uncovered?" she hissed, holding up her decidedly small skirt. Rose rolled her eyes at her reaction.

"You're trying to pass for a real cop, that's what! Now get changed and call me back when he wakes."

"Wait! Rose…he…he mentioned Prisoner Zero…" Rose froze with the phone in her hand. She scanned the alien landscape she was standing on and tried to gather her thoughts.

"What did he say? Amy, what exactly did he say?"

"He kept saying Prisoner Zero is here." Rose closed her eyes and took a deep calm breath. She snapped them back open.

"Alright, Amy, I'm coming back now. I'll be there as soon as I can. You need to make sure he's secure and pretend that you're a police woman. A real police woman. That should keep him busy. Keep him talking and warn him that you've called for backup. Better yet, do it in front of him. I'm on my way."

Amy grinned ruefully, pulled her skirt on over the stockings. "But I do have backup. It's called Rose Tyler."

* * *

Amy could see him starting to come to and leaned against the stair rail, trying to put off an air of confidence and authority.

"White male, mid-twenties, caught breaking and entering. Send me some back up, I've got him restrained." Amy watched him sit up and channeled her inner Rose to sound as authoritarian as possible. No matter that his face registered as vaguely familiar. She just had to keep him talking until Rose returned.

"Oi! You sit still…"

The Doctor cleared his throat and shook his head slightly to gather what happened to him. The police woman in front of him was not going to be easy to explain himself to.

"Cricket bat…I'm getting cricket bat."

"You were breaking and entering." He abruptly tried to stand and was yanked back down by the cuffs connected to his wrist and the radiator. Amy send a silent thank you to Rose and mentally pleaded with her to hurry.

"Oh that's much better" he mumbled as he tumbled back to the floor. "Brand new me. I come here, just where I'm needed." He jiggled the chain a few times, testing it absentmindedly. Amy tried not to seem fazed by his lack of concern.

"Do you want to shut up now? I've got back up on the way." She reminded herself that that wasn't strictly a lie for reassurance. He seemed to notice her for the first time.

"Hang on, no, wait. You're a police woman."

Inwardly pleased with pulling off her act, she continued, with more confidence. "And you're breaking and entering. You see how this works?"

"But what are you doing here? Where's Amelia?" Amy froze and tried not to let any of her emotions go to her face. Emotionless face, confident persona. That was the key.

"Amelia Pond?"

"Yeah. Amelia. Little Scottish Girl. Where is she? I promised her five minutes but the engines were phasing. I suppose I must have gone a bit far. Has something happened to her?" Amy began to panic internally and begged Rose to hurry. This man with his familiar face and his raggedy clothes. He couldn't possibly be…him. The Doctor. She was running out of ways to stall for time.

"Amelia Pond hasn't lived here in a very long time."

His face fell slightly, but then he looked at her suspiciously. "How long?"

Amy tried to steel her face. "6 months."

He didn't like that answer. "No…no. No, no. I can't be 6 months late. I promised her 5 minutes. I promised," he reiterated strongly. Amy felt tingling down her spine. He was. He most certainly was. He was the Doctor. She could remember his face, his clothes, his mannerisms. And he knew what he'd promised…

Amy turned away and grabbed her phone, dialing Rose quickly. "What happened to her?" he continued behind her, fidgeting more. "What happened to Amelia Pond?" It went to voicemail, so she pretended it was a walkie talkie and tried to give her as much information as she could while still sounding like a police woman. "Sarg, it's me again. Hurry it up. This guy knows something about Amelia Pond." She hung up and hoped that Rose would get this on her way. She was really starting to worry.

* * *

Rose landed roughly inside a telephone box in the main square of Leadworth. At least a twenty minute run home. She could do it certainly, but would she have enough time? Rose checked her phone and saw that she had arrived 15 minutes later than she had planned. She had left Amy alone with that stranger in their house for almost an hour. Just as she was about to shove her phone into her pocket, it buzzed voicemail. From Amy. Rose hoped for good news as she pressed the phone to her ear.

" _Sarg, it's me again. Hurry it up. This guy knows something about Amelia Pond."_

He must be awake for Amy to be speaking to her like this. She also must be really nervous to blatantly ask her to hurry. But that last part. First he mentioned Prisoner Zero and then Amelia Pond…Amy hadn't gone by that name since high school when she went through her grunge phase and wanted to be less fairy tale princess and more rocker princess. Rose had accommodated because she could remember those days all too well.

For him to have both of those bits of information, he would have to be Prisoner Zero himself, or…She didn't want to think about that possibility. It wasn't him. Rule number one: the Doctor always lies. Or don't wander off. They were kind of tied for first.

Why was she even thinking about this? Her first priority was getting to Amy and getting her safe. She pushed her phone into her pocket and took off at a run towards the house.

* * *

Amy had abandoned her rail to lean on and was facing this man directly, her hands on her hips. Confidence. Authority. Channel Rose. Oh god. Rose. She would be devastated…or angry. Really really angry.

He on the other hand was getting fed up with not receiving answers.

"I need to speak to whoever lives in this house. Right now."

"I live here." She strove to make her voice low and commanding. No need to mention Rose. Her secretly fake, secretly real back up. He scoffed.

"But you're the police!"

"Yes, and this is where I live! Got a problem with that?" For some reason she was genuinely irked that he didn't believe she could live in this house. He didn't seem to be following her train of thought though and gazed straight ahead of him.

"How many rooms?" he asked softly. Amy was taken aback.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"On this floor, how many rooms? On this floor, count them for me now." He insisted.

"Why?" She really hoped Rose would appear soon. His reply was soft again.

"Because it will change your life." That answer, while odd, allowed her to keep him talking, so she thought she'd play along.

"Five. One, two three, four, five." She answered smartly, pointing at each room in turn.

"Six."

She almost laughed at him. "Six?"

"Look."

She still looked bemused. "Where?"

"Exactly where you don't want to look. Where you never want to look. The corner of your eye. Look behind you." She was starting to feel uneasy but she knew- she knew- that there were only 5 rooms on this floor. Slowly she turned around and saw another door at the top of the stairs. There were two doors there. Not one. Her stomach clenched.

"That's…that is not possible. How is that possible?"

Downstairs, Rose eased open the front door and shut it softly behind her. She crept to the bottom of the stairs and pulled out her sonic and stunner. Battle ready. She could hear a man's voice upstairs, talking to Amy.

"There's a perception filter all around the door. Sensed it last time I was here. I should have seen it." Behind her the Doctor grimaced at his incompetence. It didn't matter that he'd just regenerated. He should have noticed. Amy wasn't listening.

Rose was, however, and she froze close to the top of the stairs. She'd noticed the perception filter her first day here. She had scanned it. No life forms. No signals. It had been locked. She had deemed it harmless for the moment. She had always meant to go back and check up on it, but then life raising a little girl started and she had sort of…forgotten. Or not noticed. Perception filters feed on a busy life.

"But that's a whole room. That's a whole room I've never even noticed."

"The filter stops you noticing something that came here a while ago to hide. It's still hiding. And you need to uncuff me now!" His voice pitched higher towards the end in frustration but Amy wasn't listening. She was moving towards the door. Rose positioned herself on the top step, out of view of the cuffed man, but in range should she need to stop Amy. Surely she wouldn't be this reckless. Oh who was she kidding? It was Amy.

"I don't have the key. I lost it…" She was enthralled with his missing room.

"How could you have lost it? Stay away from that door! Do not touch that door!" Amy reached for the doors handle and Rose couldn't let it go further. She quickly stepped over to Amy and positioned herself between her and the door.

"I have to agree with the uninvited guest. Don't touch it." Amy seemed to snap back into reality a bit to gaze down at Rose. She'd had quite a few inches on Rose since her growth spurt in ninth grade.

"'Well thank you for agreeing with me! Finally! Is this your back up? She's very smart. You should listen to her," the man remarked from behind Amy. They both ignored him.

"But…it's a whole room. A room I have never even noticed!" Amy's voice had a hint of a whine to it.

"Because there's a perception filter on it! Weren't you listening?" the man called out.

"I said no. You are not entering this room. It could be dangerous."

"It is. It's very dangerous. Very very dangerous. I was trying to tell her that but she hit me with a cricket bat!" the man continued. Amy glared down at Rose.

"I think we should see what's inside. Something living in our house perhaps?"

"There is something living in there! Why does no one ever listen to me?" the man called out, obviously frustrated. Rose pushed Amy a little further back from the door and held up her sonic for Amy to see.

"Here. I'll sonic it, and we'll see what it says. If, and I mean if, there is something behind there, you are not to go inside."

"Sonic?" the cuffed man sat up very quickly. Amy and Rose continued to ignore him.

"You're not going in there alone!" Amy almost felt like she should stamp her foot. But if it hadn't worked on Rose when she was 12, she doubted it would work now.

"No one should go in there!" the man behind them was getting rather agitated.

Rose gave her a level look and pulled up her stunner in her other hand. "We both know I am more than capable of handling myself. You know what I do is dangerous." Amy did stamp her foot at that.

"I'm not a little girl anymore!" Rose raised her eyebrow at that and grinned at her. Amy rolled her eyes, realizing what she had sounded like.

Behind them, the Doctor was getting increasingly frustrated with this turn of events. How could they not be taking this seriously? He was genuinely trying to warn them of imminent danger and they were just flat out ignoring him. The Doctor is not a man that is used to being ignored.

"Do I just have a face that nobody listens to?"

Rose leaned to the side of Amy and gave the man's face a quick study. Young, floppy hair, big chin, green eyes. Attractive certainly. Cute in a puppy sort of way. At least at the moment. She breathed a quick sigh of relief that it wasn't the Doctor. She didn't know this face. He was wearing familiar clothing to her, but it was so torn and bedraggled that she couldn't place it. A small spark of disappointment flared in the back of her mind, but she chose to ignore it. Seeing him would be bad for her. She was choosing to feel relief. She'd deal with his impossible knowledge later.

"Yeah, you do," she remarked and watched the man's face fall open in shock. She pulled herself back upright to face Amy again. The entire interaction lasted less than ten seconds.

It was her. The Doctor was sure of it. The woman's voice had sounded familiar, and he had caught a glimpse of blonde when the woman had sprang from the stairs. A small part- a very small part- of him had hoped it was her. Of course it couldn't be. He just hadn't been able to get her out of his mind.

He had saved her for last. The best of his memories for the last moment before he had regenerated. He had known it was the end, but he couldn't help himself. He just had to see her. And he had waited in the silence and shadows, enduring immense agony for delaying his change, just for a glimpse of her.

Of course it had been more than that. He had gotten to see that sweet, innocent, blinding smile one last time. Her smile was seared on his changing hearts. And so, with the pain of a heavy heart, and her face at the forefront of his mind, he had given into his regeneration with the greatest reluctance. "I don't want to go" he had whispered to the empty TARDIS. By leaving, he would never look at her with this face again. He could never see her again anyways, so he supposed it didn't matter, but still. He had regenerated with the regret of Rose consuming his thoughts. He had been born holding her smile in his mind. And he had become…whatever he was now. He hadn't had a chance to really look yet. He supposed he was young.

And for that matter so was she. She looked so young. Why was she here? When was she here? Was this before they had met? Or sometime after? But when could that have been?

"Oi!" he yelled back at her. They both continued to ignore him. "Again?" he whined to himself.

Rose turned around to face the door and held the sonic out towards it. Amy took a few more steps backwards and watched her activate it with a whirring noise. Amy was used to this sort of display. She was quite familiar with Rose's sonic. The man behind them did not appear to be familiar with it at all. He continued to tug on the chain in agitation.

"What is that? What is that noise?"

Rose pulled the sonic back and studied the results. Her breath hitched in her throat and she mentally kicked herself for not continuing to check. Of course Prisoner Zero was here. Why would he have bothered to leave this big empty house with only two occupants? The perfect hiding place for a criminal on the run. Still, it had been twelve years! Had he really always been hiding in this room? The entire twelve years? Right down the hall from Amy and Rose's rooms? She grimaced at her incompetence- in her own home no less- and straightened herself up.

"Prisoner Zero is here."

"That's what I said!" the man behind them was growing more frustrated.

Rose turned to look at Amy.

"I'm going in there. Do not follow me under any circumstances, yeah? I know Prisoner Zero. I've dealt with him before. I know what I'm doing- so don't follow me!" Rose bit off Amy's attempt to interrupt her and gave Amy her best 'mum' look. She was rather good at that look. She'd had twelve years to perfect it.

Rose turned back to the door and soniced the lock open and slowly opened the door inward. The part of the room Amy could see was covered in peeling blue paint and grime. Amy and the man watched Rose enter the room, their breath held. Rose, with her sonic and stunner out, entered the room, her training instincts kicking in. She knew how to do this. It didn't matter that it was in her house, this was just another mission to complete. That was something she was all too familiar with. The man began to frantically search through his pockets.

"My screwdriver! Where did it go? Silver thing, blue at the end! Where did it go?"

Amy turned back to look at him, frowning. He had described Rose's screwdriver. That was certainly not his. She had seen Rose use that countless times over her childhood.

"Oi! Shut it! That screwdriver is not yours!" The man looked so dumbfounded by her answer that he almost didn't catch what Rose was saying from inside the room.

"There doesn't appear to be anything in here."

"Whatever is in there stopped you from seeing the whole room. What makes you think you could see it?" he remarked at her. Rose rolled her eyes.

"That's why I said appear!" she called back. He chose to ignore her.

"Now please just get out!" He couldn't bear the thought of her in danger. He'd never been able to bare it.

"Silver, blue at the end, yeah?" Rose called back, her eyes narrowed. His sonic was sitting on the table. It was identical to hers except it was covered in some sort of sticky slimy substance. She quelled her mind, already connecting the dots, and tried to focus on the mission. She would have time to think about all this later.

"My screwdriver, yeah!"

Amy was looking back and forth between him and the door. She really didn't like to be out of the loop.

"It's here," Rose replied calmly.

"Must've rolled under the door…" Rose smirked at his comment, her sonic and stunner still out at the ready.

"Yeah, must've. And then jumped up on the table too, yeah?"

Amy watched his face grow deadly serious as a new realization hit him. "Get out of there. Get out of there! Get out!"

"Umm, you might want to listen to him this time…" Amy called out, unnerved by his abrupt change in expression, and turned to stare at the door, willing Rose to come back. Rose put her stunner back in her pocket and reached out for his- the other- sonic, peeling it from the table, still holding her own sonic outward.

"Get out of there!" he yelled, panicking. He struggled against the chain, sitting up as far as it would allow him to go to peer around Amy. Inside the room, Rose could hear Prisoner Zero come up behind her. She tensed her body, anticipating his movements. He would inspect her, anticipating that she wouldn't know where to turn.

"What is it, what are you doing? Don't try to see it. If it knows you've seen it, it will kill you!" the man called to her again. Rose ignored him and steadied her breathing, letting her other senses kick in. Just like last time.

"Corner of your eye..." she muttered to herself and spun to the right at precisely the right moment, face to face with Prisoner Zero.

"Hello again," she winked at him and he hissed, opening his jaws wide. She held up her sonic to his face and blasted him with a frequency that she remembered bothered him immensely. Just like last time. She turned on her heel and ran out of the room, closing it behind her. Amy had her mouth open in shock and the man looked relieved.

"Gimme that!" he gestured at her sonic, thinking it was his. Rose raised an eyebrow at him.

"Catch." She threw him the sonic covered in goo and quickly used her own sonic to lock Prisoner Zero behind the door. In her peripheral she could see him scrunch up his nose at the sticky sonic. He tried to sonic his handcuffs, but it wasn't working well. After a few spluttering attempts, he held it up one handed to inspect it.

"Oh come on! What's the bad alien done to you?" He noticed Rose had a sonic too. Identical to his. He frowned. Hers was clean. He needed it. "Gimme the clean one."

Rose raised an eyebrow at him and put her hands on her hips. "No."

He'd forgotten how stubborn she could be. He opened his mouth to protest, but Amy interrupted them.

"Will that door hold it?"

"Oh, yeah of course. It's an interdimensional multiform from outer space. There all terrified of wood," he quipped sarcastically, but Rose, who was already facing the door in front of Amy reached back her hand to her. Amy frowned down at the man and took Rose's hand.

"He'll be through this door in a few moments. Stay behind me, yeah? Like we practiced." Amy bit her lip.

"We haven't practiced our emergency intruder drill since I was 15!" she squeaked.

"Well, now don't you wish you'd listened to me?" she hissed.

The edges of the door began to glow and Rose dropped her hand to pull her stunner out of the pocket, and held them both up towards the door.

"What's that? What's it doing?" Amy asked nervously.

The man was busy trying to clean his screwdriver on his sleeve cuff, and barely glanced at the door before answering. "I don't know. Getting dressed? Run. Just go. Your back up's coming. I'll be fine."

Rose raised her hand with the stunner, not taking her eyes off the door. "Back up's here."

"But you're not back up!" he frowned. Amy glared at him.

"There is no back up!"

"But I heard you on the radio! You called for backup!"

Rose raised her other hand, holding the screwdriver. "Still back up!"

"I was pretending. It was my cell phone!"

"Calling me!" Rose put her hands back down to face the door. It was starting to shake. The man didn't seem to grasp what was happening.

"But you're a policewoman!" Rose let out a quick laugh at that, and Amy glared at her before removing her hat to let her hair fall down.

"I'm a kiss-a-gram!"

The door fell forward to reveal a man in a work uniform holding the chain to a very large black mastiff. The man was shorter and balding, with a sinister look on his face, and the dog appeared perfectly calm. Rose didn't move her position, but she felt Amy jump behind her. They took a few steps forward, and Rose took one step backwards, closer to Amy, and primed her screwdriver. Amy seemed confused.

"But it's just…"

Rose shook her head. "No it isn't."

The Doctor nodded, intrigued. "Rose is right. Look at the faces."

Rose spun on her heel, her mouth gaping, completely forgetting the threat behind her.

"How do you know my name?" she demanded but he wasn't paying attention to her. Neither was Amy for that matter. She was absorbed by the figures in front of her. The dogs face seemed perfectly calm, but the man's face was contorted in a growl and…barking? The man was barking at them. With an exact barking sound.

"What? I'm sorry, but what?" Amy looked down at the man incredulously. Rose hadn't taken her eyes off him. Only the man was looking at the creature.

"It's all one creature. One creature disguised as two. Clever old multi-form! Got the voice a bit muddled, did you?" he praised and watched as the dog and man looked back and forth in unison, trying the body on for size.

"How do you know my name?" Rose repeated. The man ignored her and his face grew concerned.

"Mind you, where did you get that pattern from? You'd need a psychic link, a live feed. How did you fix that?"

Prisoner Zero stopped moving its- their? - heads and glared at them. Amy grabbed for Rose's hand and she turned back to Prisoner Zero, her sonic held out.

"Don't move. One more step and I'll blast you again. You wouldn't like that, would you?" Rose threatened and the man and dog started growling again. They took one careful step forward testing her and the man opened his mouth, revealing Prisoner Zero's horrifically sharp set of teeth. Just as Rose was about to activate the screwdriver, the man behind them started talking again.

"Stay boy!" Rose held her breath.

"Us three, we're safe. Wanna know why?" He patted Amy's foot. "She sent for back up." Amy and Rose erupted into speech simultaneously.

"I didn't send for back up!" Amy insisted.

"I am the back up!" Rose retorted and he glared up at both of them.

"I know. That was a clever lie to save our lives!" he hissed at them. "Ok, yeah, no back up! And that's why were safe. Alone, we're not threat to you. If we had back up, you'd have to kill us."

" _Attention Prisoner Zero: the human residence is surrounded."_

Rose looked up at the ceiling and growled in frustration. Not the Atraxi, not now. What were they even doing here? She had brokered a deal with them in this universe mirroring the deal from her own universe. The Atraxi were breaking their deal, at least a dozen intergalactic laws, not to mention flouting Article Fifty-seven of the Shadow Proclamation. This was unacceptable.

Amy was frozen in shock and the man looked rather uncomfortable.

" _Attention Prisoner Zero: the human residence is surrounded."_

"What's that?" Amy whispered. Rose opened her mouth to complain but the man got there first.

"Well, that would be back up. Ok, one more time. We do have back up and that's definitely why were safe."

" _Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated."_

"Well safe apart from, you know, incineration?" the man tried. Rose watched Prisoner Zero turn quickly and walk into the room on their right. The man was banging his sticky, malfunctioning screwdriver on the floor, trying to get it to work, muttering at it under his breath. Amy was frozen, up against the wall. The Atraxi continued to drone on their threat on a loop above them.

" _Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence, or the human residence will be incinerated."_

Rose pointed her sonic at the man's cuffs. "How do you know my name?"

He looked up at her, feigning ignorance. "I'm sorry, what?"

Rose didn't tear her gaze away from him. "Amy, leave. Now. How do you know my name?" she repeated as Amy skittered past them to tear down the stairs.

" _Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated."_

"We really don't have time for this!" He was still trying to get his sonic to work. Rose tried to kick it out of his hand, but he pulled it back to his chest fast, protectively. She leaned down to his level.

"Tell me now or I won't free you." He narrowed his eyes at her.

"You wouldn't."

"I would."

"No, you really wouldn't."

"And how do you know that?"

"Because I know you, Rose Tyler," he replied quietly. Rose's breath caught.

" _Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated."_

Swiftly deciding this was not the time or place, Rose stood and soniced his cuffs. He pulled them off and stood with a grin at her. God, he was tall. Very tall. His green eyes twinkled at her and he grabbed her hand. It felt so good to grab her hand again.

"Run! Run!"

He tugged her down the stairs behind him and pulled her through the open front door. Amy was standing right outside, nervously switching feet. Rose pulled it shut behind her and pulled her hand from his grasp to sonic the door locked behind them. She didn't like how her hand felt in his. Perfect. Luckily the man wasn't paying attention to her anymore. He was staring at Amy.

"A kiss-a-gram?"

"Yes, a kiss-a-gram!" she huffed at him.

"Work through it." Rose remarked.

"Why'd you pretend to be a police woman?" He took off running back through the garden.

"Because you broke into our house! It was either this or a French maid! What's going on! Tell me!" Amy grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her away from the house to follow him into their yard. Rose froze when she saw what he was running towards. Amy wasn't paying attention to her and let go of her hand and continued following him.

"Tell me!"

Rose cautiously made her way forward, her face devoid of emotion. Inside, she was raging with the volume of thoughts and feelings going through her mind. Was this real? Atraxi, Prisoner Zero…...Her...him? This was all a dream. This had to be a dream. She was asleep in her bed and something had triggered her old memories and all of her old life had tumbled into her dream at once. The man spun around to look at Amy.

"An alien convict is hiding in your spare room disguised as a man and a dog, and some other aliens are about to incinerate your house. Any questions?"

"Yes!"

"Me too! No, no, no, no! Not now! It's still rebuilding. Not letting us in!" he rubbed her edges absentminded with worry.

"She." Rose whispered and the man slowly turned to look at her.

Rose stopped a few feet directly in front of him and Amy. She stared right through him. It was Her. Gorgeous blue, the bluest blue in the universe. Her hand reached down her shirt to pull out her chain and vial of TARDIS. She held it in the palm of her hand, not looking at it, staring straight ahead at Her. Somehow her mind noted that tears were streaming down her emotionless face. The tiny piece of TARDIS glowed warmly in her hand, but she didn't notice because she heard it. For the first time in twelve years, she heard it. Humming. A gentle caress of her mind. She was humming a song in her mind that she hadn't heard in over a decade. Rose closed her eyes, causing a few more tears to fall in the process, and gave into the feeling. For the first time in years, she reached her mind out to touch another's and she gasped in pure ecstasy when she felt the TARDIS reach back. She grasped the vial in her hand and pulled it back to her chest, eyes still closed.

The Doctor blanched and shrunk against TARDIS behind him. He could feel her mind reaching out for something to connect to. He felt the TARDIS reach back to her and watched how it affected Rose. Her tears and her bitter kind of joy. He didn't dare reach out to her, mentally or otherwise. This was between the two of them.

How could she do that? The Rose he had left on that beach hadn't been remotely telepathic. Of course it had hurt him when she was separated from him, both times. It had broken him. His mind had felt…empty now that he thought about it. He frowned slightly at the thought. Surely that didn't mean…

" _Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated."_

Rose snapped her eyes open and stared at him, her face still devoid of emotion. The Doctor flinched.

"You," she said.

"Me," he replied.

Amy looked between the two of them and then turned back to the house where the man and dog were barking viciously at them. She grabbed the hand of the person closest to her, the man as it happened to be, and started to pull him away from the smoking blue box.

"Come on!"

"No, wait, hang on!" he pulled back against her. "Wait, wait, wait, wait! The shed!" He pulled out of her grasp and ran over to the shed in the corner of the garden. Amy followed him closely, but Rose just pivoted in place and took a few steps in that direction. She knew where this was headed.

"I destroyed that shed the last time I was here. Smashed it to pieces!"

"So there's a new one! Let's go!" Amy replied impatiently. Rose could feel her hurt. She didn't want to broach this with him. This was her first experience being abandoned by him. It was old habit for Rose.

"Yeah, but the new one's got old! It's ten years old at least!"

"Twelve," Rose said. He spun to look at Rose, and then back at Amy. He turned back to the shed, sniffed it, and ran his finger against the wood and popped it in his mouth, tasting it for confirmation.

"I'm not sixth months late, I'm twelve years late!"

"He's coming," Amy answered nervously as he rounded her. She wasn't ready to handle this. None of them were. Rose was amazed he still hadn't realized who she was.

"You said six months? Why did you say six months?"

"We've got to go."

"This matters. This is important! Why did you say six months?" Rose could feel Amy's pressure rising. She could tell from the way she was clenching and unclenching her fists.

"Why did you say five minutes?" she exploded at him and the man just gaped at her, shock written all over her face.

"What?" he whispered.

Rose ran forward and grabbed Amy's hand to pull her away. They had to get away from the house.

"Come on," Rose whispered to Amy.

"What?" he repeated, dumbstruck. Rose was pulling Amy firmly away, so Amy grabbed his hand as well.

"Come on!" Amy yelled at the Doctor.

"What?"

Rose dragged them out of the garden and towards the street, increasing her speed to a run.

" _Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated."_

* * *

A few blocks away from their house, Rose finally let go of Amy's hand. Amy had let go of the Doctor's hand a few streets back. Rose didn't seem out of breath at all, but Amy was panting slightly and tugging down her skirt. The Doctor stopped right next to Amy, who started walking away from him in a huff. Rose followed behind, giving them a slight berth. She had already worked through her abandonment issues with him years ago. This was Amy's turn.

"You're Amelia." The Doctor's tone was still one of shock.

"And you're late," she threw over her shoulder.

"Amelia Pond. You're the little girl."

"I'm Amelia and you're late."

"What happened?"

"Twelve years," she growled.

"You hit me with a cricket bat!"

"Twelve years!" she insisted.

"A cricket bat!"

Rose could tell this wasn't going to hurry the conversation along. "Twelve years and four psychiatrists," she added and the Doctor spun around to her, his face a mixture of shock and confusion. He didn't have time to deal with the fact that Rose was here with Amelia. He turned back to Amelia's retreating form and hurried to catch back up.

"Four?"

"I kept biting them."

"Why?"

Amy slowed herself slightly and her voice was a tad less harsh. "They said you weren't real."

" _Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated."_

Amy stopped walking to gape at the ice cream van that was now relaying the same message. Rose stopped next to her and squeezed her hand gently as the Doctor started towards the van.

"No, no, no, come on! What? We're being staked out by an ice-cream van!" Amy looked at Rose, who simply jerked her head in the Doctor's direction and they both ran towards the van.

" _Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated."_

"What's that? Why are you playing that?" the Doctor was asking the man inside of the van. He had a slight frown on his face.

"It was supposed to be Claire De Lune."

Rose watched as the Doctor picked up the radio and held it to his ear. He sat it back down after a moment and looked up at the sky and back to the radio. She knew where this was going. The Atraxi in this universe's idea of cornering a criminal was surrounding the planet the offending person was on and announcing to the planet that the prisoner was there. They were so large that they never thought someone needed to be cornered further than that. That's why Rose had been so useful to them in their criminal hunts. She had shown them the value of narrowing it down further.

She absently looked to her wrist, where her vortex manipulator was still attached. She was in full mission gear. Technically, she was primed to take down Prisoner Zero. Especially given she had done it before. But, if she remembered correctly, the Doctor was none too fond of vortex manipulators. He had disabled Jack's so that he couldn't use it, if she remembered correctly.

Rose pulled her black jacket's sleeve down over the manipulator to hide it from him. She would do what she had to do to make sure the Atraxi didn't go through with their threat. She had already figured it out. What the Doctor was trying to confirm. Human residence meant Earth. She was a little surprised it was taking him this long. Must be the new face.

"Doctor, what's happening?" Amy called out as the Doctor took off at a run away from the van. She turned to Rose. "What's happening?" Rose shrugged, not wanting to worry her, and grabbed her hand to pull her after the Doctor.

The Doctor burst into Mrs. Angelo's home and followed the sound of the Atraxi to the living room. Amy and Rose followed him into the living room, a little uncomfortable by the rudeness. Mrs. Angelo was perfectly nice after all.

"Hello. Sorry to burst in, but we're doing a special on television faults in this area." He glanced at Amy. "Also crimes." He glanced at Rose. She crossed her arms at him, eyes narrowed, daring him to say something. "Also…spy things? No. Never mind. Let's have a look." He went over to the woman and took the remote from her as she informed him that it was broadcasting on every channel. Mrs. Angelo noticed Amy and Rose standing behind the couch.

"Oh hello Rose! Amy dear!" She frowned slightly. "Are you a policewoman now?" Rose covered her mouth to hide her smirk. Amy could feel her cheeks starting to burn.

"Well sometimes."

"I thought you were a nurse." Rose snickered and shot Amy a sideways look, which she refused to acknowledge.

"I can be a nurse." Mrs. Angelo's frown deepened.

"Or actually a nun…" Rose dissolved into a fit of giggles and Amy hit her arm, without taking her eyes off Mrs. Angelo.

"I dabble!" Amy tried. Rose bit her lip to stop herself laughing. She loved watching Amy try to cover her tracks in this job. The older woman decided it was time to change the subject.

"Amy, who is your friend?" The Doctor frowned. He didn't like that at all.

"Who's Amy? You were Amelia."

Amy snorted, rather affronted that he should have an opinion.

"Yeah? Now I'm Amy."

"Since high school anyways," Rose quipped and Amy elbowed her to be quiet.

"Amelia Pond. That was a great name!" The Doctor seemed rather disappointed and Amy leveled her expression at him.

"Bit fairytale."

Ms. Angelo, who had been busy studying the Doctor's face, interrupted them.

"I know you, don't I? I've seen you somewhere before." The Doctor cheered a bit at the question and turned to her.

"Not me. Brand new face." He stretched his face out wide to her. "First time on."

Rose narrowed her eyes at him. That explained why he was wearing his old clothes- she had finally realized why she recognized them. She had loved that tie on him. That also explained why he had been so picky in his food choices with Amelia in the kitchen all those years ago. He had just regenerated. And according to him, _just_. It hadn't been twelve years for him, trying to come back to Amy. It had really been only a few moments. He was probably still wobbly and weak. He hadn't had time to change or really learn this body.

Her breath hitched in her throat. If he had met Amy even a few minutes earlier, he would've had John's face still. His face. He might've still had John's face now. The face that loved her and left her. On two different people no less. She gasped a bit at the latent pain that shot through her heart at the thought of him -them- and the Doctor shot her a quick glance. He really wasn't ready to deal with that just yet. Rose hadn't handled his other regeneration very well, and that was before he'd abandoned her. Twice. He quickly turned to Amy to change the subject.

"And what sort of job's a kiss-a-gram?"

"I go to parties and I kiss people." Rose cracked a grin in her direction and Amy cleared her throat. "With outfits. It's a laugh."

The Doctor frowned and adopted a stern fatherly voice. "You were a little girl five minutes ago!"

"Ha!" Rose let out a quick laugh and pointed at him, staring at Amy. She'd said that exact thing when Amy had told her she got the job. She forgot momentarily who she was agreeing with.

Amy glared at Rose first and then at the Doctor. "You're worse than Rose."

"I'm the Doctor. I'm always worse than Rose!" Amy gaped at him and Rose covered her mouth to quash the laughter bubbling in her throat. She shouldn't be laughing at him. Or with him. He realized what he said and turned to Mrs. Angelo.

"And that is not how I'm introducing myself." He grabbed the radio off the nearby table and soniced it a few times. Each time, the same broadcast rang out in different languages. Spanish. French. German. He sat the radio back down on the table and Rose crossed her arms at him, waiting to see when he'd realize it. He was close.

"OK so it's everywhere. In every language. They're broadcasting to the whole world." He went to the window, pulled it open and stuck his head out of it, staring at the sky.

"What's up there? What are you looking for?" Amy followed him to the window but Rose stayed where she was.

"He's looking for their ship." The Doctor pulled his head back to stare at her. "I'm right, yeah? You're looking for their starship. Or to see if they've sealed off the planet yet?" He narrowed his eyes at her slightly. Rose shouldn't know these things. At least he didn't think she should. His Rose didn't.

"Why do you know that?"

"Why did you come back?"

He clapped his hands loudly and paced the room, speaking to Amy and Mrs. Angelo and no one at all. Anyone but Rose.

"Ok, planet this size, two poles, you're basic molten core? They're going to need a forty percent fission blast."

A young man walked into the living room, replacing his computer in his bag. The Doctor rounded on him to finish his soliloquy, trying to gage his height against his. He had to avoid Rose.

"But they'll have to power it up first, won't they? So assuming a medium sized starship, that's twenty minutes. What do you think, twenty minutes?" He accidentally glanced in Rose's direction.

"Yeah, twenty minutes," she answered.

"We've got twenty minutes." He glanced over at her again. How had she known that? Amy's eyes darted between the two of them.

"Twenty minutes to what?"

From behind him, the man who'd entered the room finally realized who he had reminded him of.

"Are you the Doctor?" Mrs. Angelo gasped at his statement.

"He is, isn't he? He's the Raggedy Doctor!" She clapped her hands together happily and turned towards Rose. "All those cartoons she did when she was little?" Rose nodded at her and grinned with her tongue between her teeth at Amy over her head. Amy shot her a look as Mrs. Angelo turned to her. "The Raggedy Doctor! It's him!"

"Shut up," Amy hissed at Mrs. Angelo and glared at Rose for good measure. She smirked back. The Doctor had been watching this entire interaction, a little confused.

"Cartoons?" he asked slowly, starting with Amy and then turning to Rose, who shrugged. It wasn't her secret to tell. He went to the couch and sat down heavily as the man kept talking.

"Gran it's him, isn't it? It's really him!"

"Jeff, shut up!" Amy muttered and turned to where the Doctor was sitting on the couch, right in front of Rose. "Twenty minutes to what?"

" _Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated."_

"The human residence. There not talking about your house, they're talking about the planet. Somewhere up there, there's a spaceship, and it's going to incinerate the planet."

"Finally," Rose muttered behind him. He sat forward a little and clasped his hands to keep from commenting back at her.

"Twenty minutes to the end of the world."

* * *

Rose was getting really sick of following him around. She hadn't followed anyone in twelve years. If anything, she'd had people following her. Amy didn't seemed fazed by it at all and kept trying to match pace with him. This regeneration was very tall. Long strides. Even with Amy's legs, he was hard to keep up with.

"What is this place? Where am I?"

"Leadworth," Amy replied.

"Where's the rest of it?"

"This is it."

"Is there an airport?"

"No."

"A nuclear power station?"

Amy scoffed. "No."

He shot a look back at Rose. "Even a little one?"

Rose shook her head as Amy replied. "No." Rose could sense his growing frustration.

"Nearest city?"

"Gloucester. Half hour by car," Amy responded.

"We don't have a half hour. Do we have a car?"

"No." He didn't stop moving but looked back at Rose again.

"Seriously?" She just glared at him in answer. She didn't need a car. Leadworth was small and she had the manipulator. But he didn't need to know that.

"Well, that's good. Fantastic, that is. Twenty minutes to save the world and I've got a post office!" He glanced over at it. "And it's shut!"

Rose felt her phone buzz and pulled it out glance at the screen. UNIT. Marion Wolfe required. Code 1178. She almost rolled her eyes. Of course she already knew what was happening, the code was unnecessary. But they didn't know that. Requesting her assistance. She looked at her manipulator, trying to gage how specific she would have to be. Twenty minutes. She didn't really feel comfortable leaving Amy alone with him. Amy was liable to go off with him, and Rose knew for a fact he'd take her. And the Doctor was dangerous. In her pause, the Doctor had gone sprinting towards the center of town, Amy following. Rose put her phone back in her pocket and took off after them.

"What is that?" he asked Amy, pointing to the pond in the city square.

"It's a duck pond." He turned on her abruptly, just as Rose came to a stop behind her. His gaze was trained on Amy, but she didn't miss the tiny flicker in her direction when she stopped.

"Why aren't there any ducks?"

"I don't know. There's never any ducks."

"Then how do you know it's a duck pond?"

"It just is. Is it important, the duck pond?"

Suddenly, the Doctor clutched at his chest, and convulsed backward. Amy was frozen staring at him, but Rose rushed towards him. She knew what was happening. She'd done this once before. She'd never thought she'd be doing it again. "I don't know. Why would I know?" he was answering, as the force of his latent regeneration drove him backwards.

Rose reached out and grabbed his hand, keeping him from falling backward into the pond and eased him into sitting on the curb. She ignored the thrill up her spine at his touch. _Keep it business, Tyler. You're saving the world and your partner_ –she inwardly smirked at herself at her word choice- _is ill. Medical attention. That's all._ She knelt in front of him and took his pulses on his neck, looking into his eyes for traces of dilation. Last time she'd witnessed this, he'd passed out for hours. They didn't have hours. They had minutes.

"Talk to me," she whispered to him urgently as she counted his pulses. His hearts were racing. They sped up slightly at her voice. She ignored it.

"This is too soon. I'm not ready. I'm not done yet," he whispered back, pleading eyes boring into hers. He could see her concern in her eyes behind the clinical façade and the pain shoot through them at his mention of his regeneration. He could almost see the memories of his last regeneration in her mind. He grinned softly at her.

"How do I look?" her expression softened, but she didn't smile back.

"Different," she answered. She knew what he was looking for. If this would get him working again, she would indulge him. His grin widened at her answer.

"Good different or bad different?"

She opened her mouth to answer, but couldn't get the words out. She couldn't do this. Reliving these memories hurt too much. She was saved from having to cover for herself by the sudden rapid darkening of the sky. She broke his gaze and stood to stare at the sky. He watched her a moment longer and then turned his eyes upward as well. Amy glanced between the sky and the two of them.

"What's happening? Why's it going dark?"

The sun was covered by a dark grey mass of cloudy substance. It wasn't a cloud, it was too specific to be a cloud, but it covered the sunlight ominously. Then, as soon as it came, the grey substance dissipated and the sun took on a reddish pixilated glow. Amy frowned.

"So what's wrong with the sun?"

"Nothing. You're looking at it through a force field. They've sealed off your upper atmosphere." He opened his mouth to continue but Rose interrupted him.

"They're going to boil us," she said angrily and a shocked Amy turned to her, eyes wide. Rose wasn't paying attention. She had pulled out her phone and quickly put it to her ear. She began speaking rapidly into it, using numbers and words Amy had never heard. She pulled it away from her ear and aimed her phone's camera at the sun. Confirmation for UNIT. The Doctor stood abruptly, frowning slightly at Rose's reaction and then looked out over the square. Every other human was doing the same thing.

"Oh and here they come. The human race. The end comes, as it was always going to, down a video phone." Rose shot him a glare and put her phone back to her ear taking rapidly once more. Amy couldn't believe what was happening.

"This isn't real. This is some kind of big windup." The Doctor looked confused.

"Why would I wind you up?" Rose scoffed behind him, still on the phone. Amy glanced at her and back to him.

"You told me you had a time machine. You both told me you had a time machine!" She pointed accusingly at Rose, still staring at the Doctor. Rose turned her head towards Amy slightly and grimaced apologetically in her direction. The Doctor didn't understand the problem.

"And you believed me."

Amy looked at her hands nervously. "And then I grew up." Rose bit her lip and looked at the ground, her phone still at her ear. She remembered when Amy had finally stopped believing that he was real. The same time she had started going as Amy, instead of Amelia. She had always called Rose her aunt to strangers because it was an easy way to describe her, but it was around that time that Amy started believing it herself. Rose stopped being the woman who had come to stay with her after the Doctor had left, and really became her aunt in Amy's mind.

Rose had wept bitterly at her loss of innocence. Worse than when she had stopped believing in Santa. Her loss in her belief of the Doctor marked Amy's loss of hope. Rose remembered that feeling all too well. It was something she had worked through when she was stranded in the alternate universe with John. She had had John to help her work through her pain then. She had to lose hope before she could allow herself to love him. Rose had to be Amy's John. In retrospect, when Amy stopped believing in the Doctor was when she had stopped viewing Rose as temporary. She became her Aunt and guardian and that was that. She supposed that was a good thing.

"You never want to do that," he answered and then hit himself in the head. "No. Hang on. Shut up. Wait. I missed it. I saw it and I missed it."

Rose, who was watching this entire event, snapped off her phone call and stood in front of him, braced to run. She knew the look on his new face. It was the same look he always got.

"What did I see? I saw. What did I see? I saw, I saw, I saw…" he continued, off in thought. Suddenly his face cleared and he glanced at the square clock. He grinned down at Rose, still primed to run.

"Twenty minutes. I can do it." He spun to Amy, confident grin still in place.

"Twenty minutes, the planet burns. Run to your loved ones and say goodbye, or stay and help me."

Rose raised her hand behind him. "Present."

Amy looked between Rose and him, anxiously. She didn't like her options. She didn't like being given options. She could always make up her own mind.

"No."

The Doctor looked a bit taken aback. Rose just smirked at her. She'd seen this Amy move so many times. Go to bed or you're in trouble? No. Eat your breakfast or go to school hungry? No. Either wear the dress and go to the dance or stay in your sweats and stay home with me? No. Go to college, or stay home and keep your job at the bookstore? No. Amy always took the third option.

"I'm sorry?"

"No!" Amy yelled at him and Rose almost doubled over in laughter. Almost because Amy had grabbed him by his tie, and dragged him to Mr. Henderson's car, where he had just parked. She stuck his tie in the door, slammed it shut and took the keys from Mr. Henderson's hand and locked the door. Rose followed her quickly. She should've considered warning him. You don't give Amy two options. Ever.

The Doctor seemed panicked. "Amy, no. No! What are you doing? Are you out of your mind?"

She leaned close to him, searching his face for the truth. Rose stood behind her a few feet, arms crossed.

"Who are you?" Amy demanded.

"You know who I am. Rose tell her!" Rose put her hands up, surrendering to Amy's rage. This was Amy's turn.

"No, really. Who are you? And don't you drag Rose into this."

"Look at the sky. End of the world. Twenty minutes."

"Well better talk quickly then." Amy narrowed her eyes at him. Mr. Henderson, who hadn't moved, looked between the three of them nervously. He decided Rose was the safest option.

"Rose, I am going to need my car back," he said worriedly, looking at an enraged Amy. Amy answered him.

"Yes, in a bit. Now go and have coffee," she snipped and Rose smiled apologetically at him. She pulled out a five pound note from her pocket and handed it to him quietly.

"Sorry, Mr. Henderson."

"Right, yes," he replied absentmindedly and hurried off quickly, with a pitying look at the poor bloke stuck in his car door. Amy had a reputation as a firecracker. The Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out an apple with a fresh face carved into it.

"Catch."

Amy stared at the apple, lost for words. This was impossible.

"I'm the Doctor. I'm a time traveler. Everything I told you twelve years ago is true. I'm real. What's happening in the sky is real, and if you don't let me go right now, everything you've ever known is over."

"He's right, Amelia," Rose said quietly behind her. Amy spun to look at her, begging her not to agree with him. She only used her full name when she was deadly serious.

"I don't believe you. Either of you." The Doctor grabbed her wrist and she spun around to look at him again.

"Just twenty minutes. Just believe me for twenty minutes. Look at it. Fresh as the day you gave it to me. And you know it's the same one. Amy, believe for twenty minutes." She stared at the apple face, and then looked up at him. She raised the keys in her right hand and unlocked the car.

"What do we do?"

"Stop that nurse." The Doctor freed himself, grabbed Rose's hand and took off sprinting towards a man in the town center. In scrubs. Wait, was that Rory? Rose frowned as he pulled her along. Amy followed them slower, tugging her tiny skirt down. When they reached him, the Doctor dropped her hand and scooped Rory's phone out of his. Rose clenched and unclenched her hand. She wasn't sure if she wanted to get used to that feeling again. He must be running on autopilot from his previous regeneration. When he always grabbed her hand. He probably didn't even realize he was doing it.

"The sun's going out and you're photographing a man and a dog. Why?"

Rory took his phone back from the strange man and noticed Rose and Amy. His relief was visible on his face.

"Rose! Amy!"

"Hi!" Rose grinned widely and Amy noticed the Doctor's confusion.

"Oh this is Rory. He's a friend," she explained to him.

"Boyfriend," Rose and Rory corrected her at the same time and they grinned and pointed at each other. Amy shot them a look.

"Kind of boyfriend"

"Amy!" Rory looked a little hurt. The Doctor didn't have time for this.

"Man and a dog. Why?"

Rory turned to really look at him and his jaw went slack with shock once he realized who was talking to him. Amy could feel embarrassment flooding her cheeks.

"Oh my god, it's him."

"Just answer his question please," Amy fumed. She could feel herself getting red.

"It's him though!" He looked to Rose for confirmation and she nodded at him grinning. "The Doctor. The Raggedy Doctor," he continued in shock.

"Yeah. He came back."

"But he was a story. He was a game!" Rory started but the Doctor, who was getting very sick of being compared to children's things, grabbed Rory's jacket and pulled him close.

"Oi!" Rose cried.

"Man and dog. Why? Tell me now!"

"Sorry. Because he can't be there. Because he's…"

"In a hospital," the Doctor said with him.

"In a coma," Rose joined in with the two of them. The Doctor, who had been looking rather pleased with himself at getting it right, abruptly turned to frown at Rose's inclusion. She shouldn't know this. Rory looked taken aback.

"Yeah," he mumbled. The Doctor narrowed his eyes at Rose momentarily, who put her hands on her hips in response, and then snapped back to Rory, pleased again.

"Knew it. Multiform, you see? Disguise itself as anything. But it needs a live feed. A psychic link with a living but dormant mind." The Doctor started straightening Rory's jacket as he talked and poked him roughly in the forehead.

All four of them spun to look behind the Doctor when loud, aggressive barking started up. The balding man and large dog were behind them. The man was barking. The dog was watching.

"Prisoner Zero," the Doctor and Rose said at the same time. The Doctor turned to her and frowned again.

"Stop that!" he snipped. Behind them Rory looked panicked.

"What? There's a Prisoner Zero too?"

"Yes," Amy replied quickly. No time to get into that.

Above them, an Atraxi ship flew down into the atmosphere and began surveying the area with a giant eyeball. Amy gasped at the fact that she recognized it. It was the eye from her bedroom. Rose scowled and pulled out her phone again to update UNIT. The Atraxi were breaking their contract in more ways than one. The Doctor, however, seemed pleased with the development. He turned back to Prisoner Zero.

"See that ship up there is scanning this area for non-terrestrial technology. And nothing says non-terrestrial like a sonic screwdriver."

Rose, who had been listening to him while relaying information over the phone widened her eyes. The Doctor raised his hand in the air and activated the sonic.

"No, don't!" Rose cried, but it was too late. Streetlamps were exploding. Car alarms started blaring. Mrs. Potts scooter started driving on its own and a fire truck went blaring down the street without a driver. Rose was furious. This was not how you solved this problem. She snapped her phone shut angrily. He wasn't paying attention to her.

"I think someone's going to notice. Don't you?" And so he got cocky, _like he always does_ , Rose thought, and pointed his screwdriver at a red telephone box. It exploded with his screwdriver and he dropped the burnt out sonic to the ground. He squatted down, and began yelling at his broken screwdriver.

"No, no, no! Don't do that!"

Rose watched, livid, as the Atraxi ship left the area.

"Look, it's going," Rory remarked. The Doctor threw up his arms, and tried to wave down the ship.

"No, come back! He's here! Come back! He's here! Prisoner Zero is here! Come back!"

Rose ran over to him and yanked down one of his flailing arms, jumping a tad to reach his wrist and grabbed his tie, pulling him down to her level. She glared at him, their faces inches from each other.

"Don't you dare! What do you think would happen if they realized he was here? The Atraxi only bother to narrow things down as small as a planet! They didn't think they had to look farther than that before me!" The Doctor opened his mouth to respond, but Rose cut him off.

"No. My turn to talk. They would've incinerated this entire block if they'd realized he was here! You almost got us all killed!" she fumed at him. Neither of them were watching Prisoner Zero dematerialize and slid down the drain he was standing on top of.

"Doctor? Rose? The drain. It sort of melted and went down the drain," she interrupted. Rose and the Doctor turned their heads to the spot where Prisoner Zero was standing, still inches away from each other, Rose's grip on his tie still firm. Rose growled in frustration and let go of his tie abruptly, throwing her hands up in the air. The Doctor straightened up and tried to act like nothing happened, smoothing his shirt absentmindedly.

"Well of course it did."

"What do we do now?" Amy asked.

"It's hiding in human form. We need to drive it out into the open. No TARDIS. No screwdriver…unless?" he shot a hopeful look at Rose, who pushed her sonic deeper into her pocket in response.

"Don't even think about it." She glared at him and he grimaced slightly.

"Seventeen minutes…Come on, think! Think!"

In the hospital across town, the multiform slid out of the coma ward air vent.

* * *

Thank you so much to everyone who has followed or favorited so far! This is my first fan fiction I've ever written or published, so you're support means the world!

So, what do you think? I have the other half of this episode rewrite already finished so you won't have to wait too long. I won't always update this fast, but it's winter break, so I have lots of free time to write and get caught up before school starts back.

I hope you enjoy it! I'm certainly enjoying writing it!


	3. The Eleventh Hour: Part Two

Rory, Amy, and the Doctor stood in front of the drain that Prisoner Zero had just disappeared into, staring down at it. Rose was behind them, pacing, staring at her phone and back at the three of them.

"So that thing, that hid in our house for twelve years?" Amy asked. Rose made an angry noise in her throat behind her.

"Apparently."

"Multiform can live for a millennia. Twelve years is a pit stop," the Doctor offered, hoping it would help.

"So how come you show up again on the same day that lot do? The same minute?" Amy demanded and Rose snorted. Following trouble or trouble following him. The Doctor ignored her.

"They're looking for him, but they followed me. They saw me through the crack, got a fix, they're only late because I am."

"You are very late," Rose remarked behind him, her arms crossed. He hadn't had to stay up all those sleepless nights with an inconsolable Amy. He hadn't had to fight with several consecutive school counselors who insisted that Amy needed treatment for her imaginary friend. He didn't have to deal with any of the ramifications he'd left in this little girl's life, but she had. And as much as she had dreaded the possibility of him returning, she had hoped that he would return for her. For Amelia. If just so that she could have some sort of closure. Rory turned to look at Rose.

"What's he on about?" Rose opened her mouth to answer when the Doctor cut in.

"Nurse boy, give me your phone." Rory turned to Amy.

"How can he be real? He was never real!"

"Phone. Now. Gimme." Rory handed off his phone absentmindedly and the Doctor began rifling through it. His phone wasn't important at the moment. What was important was that this man was real.

"He was just a game. We were kids. You made me dress up as him!" his mouth fell open and he spun to point at Rose. "You never said he was fake! You said he was real!" The Doctor interrupted them again.

"These photos, they're all of coma patients?"

"Yeah."

"No, they're all the multiform. Eight comas, eight disguises for Prisoner Zero."

Behind them, Rose swore loudly, and pulled on her phone again, pressing it to her ear frantically. Amy shot her an odd look at the outburst, but the Doctor ignored it so Amy asked him her question.

"He had a dog, though. There's a dog in a coma?"

"Well, the coma patient dreams he's walking a dog, Prisoner Zero gets a dog." The Doctor jumped suddenly, remembering. "Laptop! You're friend, what's his name? Not him, the good looking one?"

"Thanks," Rory muttered.

"Jeff," Amy answered.

"Oh thanks!" Rory repeated, a bit more irritated.

"He had a laptop in his bag. A laptop. Big bag, big laptop. I need Jeff's laptop!" He put his arms around them both. "You two, get to the hospital. Get everyone out of that ward. Call me when you're done! Rose, with me!"

"Nope." They all three spun around to see Rose, one hand on her hip, her hand closing her phone with her other, glaring right at the Doctor.

"What?" he spluttered.

"No. I'm not going with you," she turned to Amy. "Amy, call _me_ once you get that ward clear. I will be there. I promise. Alright?" Amy nodded and she and Rory left quickly for Rory's car. She was going to leave them to do…whatever…it is they were doing. She remembered Rose said she used to travel with him. Ages ago. Whenever Amy had asked about it, her eyes would grow distant and she wouldn't talk of it. Eventually Amy stopped asking when Rose had cried after seeing a picture Amy drew of the three of them together in front of the blue police box. She'd recovered quickly, but she didn't hang it on the fridge like the rest of her drawings. Even at her age, Amy had recognized that as significant.

"We don't have time for this. Rose, you are going with me!" the Doctor exclaimed.

"I have a job to do," she snapped at him and pulled up jacket hiding her vortex manipulator. He gaped at her as she started to input the coordinates.

"Why do you have a vortex manipulator?"

"You don't need to know that. You don't get to know that. You will keep Amy and Rory safe, got that? You will not let anything happen to them if I don't make it back in time. Understand?" He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Give me the sonic."

"No."

"It's not even your sonic. It's my sonic." She gaped at his insolence.

"It is my sonic. And I'm keeping it. And now, I'm leaving. Bye." She activated the manipulator and popped out of sight.

The Doctor froze, staring where she had just been, and then took off, fuming, towards Jeff's house.

* * *

Rose landed in the jump room of UNIT headquarters, Tower of London. The jump room was a large white sterile room, with a window to a small office on the other side to monitor the incoming people or aliens. Rose always felt uncomfortable in this room. It felt too much like the dimension room in Canary Wharf. Brought back uncomfortable memories every time. Normally she could push them back, but considering she'd just interacted with the main character in those memories, she was having a harder time ignoring the similarities. She waved at the men behind the glass quickly for them to buzz her out and pushed her way into the hallway.

People were flooding the corridors, shouting and stumbling over themselves with their paperwork and files. Some were in white lab coats, others dressed for missions like herself. She was only a few hundred feet from where she needed to get, but it would take way too long to get there. Rose pushed her way through the sea of people as gently as she could until she spotted a familiar face.

"Petra! Oi! Osgood!"

Petronella Osgood was pressed against the wall, nervously fingering her inhaler, her rather large scarf wrapped several times around her neck. She turned when she heard her name and smiled anxiously when she spotted her trying to swim upstream of the panic.

"Marion!" Rose pushed her way towards her and pressed herself up against the wall next to her.

"Where is Kate? I need to see her. Now."

Petra nodded, and took a puff from her inhaler.

"She's in conference room C. All the world heads are meeting about the force field." Rose took off running in that direction, pushing her way through people rather roughly. "No one's allowed in though!" she called after her and watched her blond head disappear in the crowd.

Rose turned down corridor B and ran down the less populated hallways, dodging the few people still loitering. Conference Room C was one more hall over. She turned the corner and sprinted the last few hundred feet to her location. She pulled out her screwdriver and soniced the lock on the door and burst in.

Katherine Lethbridge-Stewart turned around in her chair in shock. In front of her, a wall of screens displayed all the other world leaders, with their distinctions below their names. Kate frowned at her.

"Marion Wolfe. I had them page you a while ago."

"What's that? Who's there?" one of the people on screen asked and Kate waved her hand dismissively.

"She's with me," she said to the screen placating and offered a set to Rose next to her. "Took you long enough."

Rose grinned at her and moved to take a seat next to her.

"Sorry. I have information you need to hear. This is the Atraxi. The force field. They're going to boil the planet."

Kate's mouth opened slightly. As much shock as she was capable of showing.

"Why? How do you know this?" Rose grinned ruefully.

"I have a good source? Regardless, the easiest way to…" Rose trailed off as the screen started to blur and static cut through as another box pushed itself onto the screen. Suddenly the Doctor popped up on the screen. He flashed his psychic paper at the screen and smiled widely at them all.

"Who are you?" Patrick Moore demanded of the new box.

"This is a secure call, what are you doing here?" NASA demanded.

The Doctor smiled brightly at them and then noticed who was in one of the boxes.

"Rose?"

Kate turned to look at Rose confusedly.

"Rose?"

Rose shook her head at her, assuredly and kicked herself mentally. Of course he'd be here. Because of course. He's him.

"Middle name," she assured Kate and turned to the screen. "What are you doing here?"

"Since here is no longer relevant because you left here for there, I should be asking you the same question! What are you doing here? Or there? Or wherever it is you are?" he frowned at the screen, trying to make out the background. "Where is there?"

Kate turned to the man in the corner, working the computer end of things. "Turn him off."

"Hello. Yeah, I know you should switch me off, but before you do, watch this." He started typing furiously on what she could only assume was Jeff's laptop.

"Fermat's Theorem, the proof. And I mean the real one. Never been seen before." He started talking to someone off screen. She hoped it wasn't poor Mrs. Angelo. As he was talking, documents started littering the bottom of the screen.

"Poor old Fermat, got killed in a duel before he could write it down. My fault. I slept in." He turned back to the screen.

"Oh, and here's an oldie but a goodie. Why electrons have mass. And a personal favorite of mine, faster than light travel with two diagrams and a joke. Look at your screens. Whoever I am, I'm a genius. Look at the sun. You need all the help you can get. Fellas, pay attention."

Rose rolled her eyes at the screen, but he had started typing on Rory's phone and didn't notice. Always had to be the show off. Kate turned to her.

"You know this man, Marion? We can trust him?"

"Marion?" the Doctor asked, putting the phone down to stare at the screen suspiciously. Rose glared at the screen.

"Middle name," she replied dismissively and ignored both Kate and his unconvinced expressions. She turned to Kate. "Yeah. For this, we're gonna need him."

"Sir, what are you doing?" ESA asked.

"I'm writing a computer virus. Very clever, super fast, and a tiny bit alive, but don't let on. And why am I writing it on a phone? Never mind, you'll find out. Ok, I'm sending this to all your computers. Get everyone who works for you sending this everywhere. Email, text, Facebook, Bebo, Twitter, radar dish, whatever you've got. Any questions?"

"Who's your lady friend?" Patrick Moore asked, winking at Mrs. Angelo, who could be seen in the corner of the Doctors screen. She dimpled at the question and blushed at the wink.

"Patrick, behave."

"What does this virus do?" Kate asked. Rose felt her phone buzz and looked down at the screen. Amy. She quietly pushed her chair back and headed for the hallway. The Doctor wasn't paying attention.

"It's a reset command, that's all. It resets counters. It gets in the wifi, and resets every counter it can find. Clocks, calendars, anything with a chip will default at zero at exactly the same time. But yeah, I could be lying, why should you trust me? I'll let my best girl explain." He sat back confidently to silence. Frowning, he sat back forward and peered at the silence on the screen. No Rose. Where did she go?

"Ok, never mind. Scratch that. I'll let my best man explain." More silence. He looked sideways. "Jeff, you're my best man."

"You're what?" The Doctor closed the computer part way to speak with Jeff privately.

"Listen to me. In ten minutes, you're going to be a legend. In ten minutes, everyone on that screen is going to be offering you any job you want. But first, you have to be magnificent. You have to make them trust you and get them working. This is it, Jeff. Right here, right now. This is where you fly. Today's the day you save the world." Jeff stared at him dumbfounded.

"Why me?"

"It's your bedroom. Now go, go, go!" The Doctor hopped up and ran out of the room. He could hear Jeff put on an authoritative air and start typing.

"Ok guys, let's do this." The Doctor popped his head back in the door.

"Oh, and delete your internet history."

* * *

In the hall, Rose answered her phone quickly.

"Amy, are you alright? What's going on?"

"Rose? We're fine. We're at the hospital, but we can't get through." Rose rolled her eyes at the wall.

"Look in the mirror! I dressed you this morning, remember?" She heard Amy's smile in her voice.

"Ha! Uniform!"

"Please put your hair back up first, yeah? More believable. The stockings are enough."

Amy handed her phone to Rory, who held it to her ear as she started twisting her hair to a bun.

"Yeah, yeah. Are you on your way?"

Rose looked up at the clock in the hallway. She had just enough time.

"I'm on my way now. Listen to me. If anything happens, phone the Doctor. He still has Rory's phone. I will be out of communication for a bit, but I'll be there. I promise."

"You already said that," Amy reminded her. Rose grinned at the phone and took off down the hallway towards the jump room.

"Shut up. Love you."

"Love you," Amy answered and Rose snapped the phone shut. She turned down Corridor B and took off towards A again. From what she could see, it had thinned a bit from the earlier stampede. She must have landed during the 'man your battlestations' phase of global catastrophe clean up. She spun around the corner and scanned for Petra as she made her way towards the jump room. Rose couldn't see her. She banged on the door with her fist.

"Marion Wolfe. Unscheduled jump. Let me in." The door buzzed and she let herself into the sterile once more. The two men behind the glass spoke to her over the intercom.

"Where you headed Marion?" They had learned better than to say anything to Agent Wolfe about unscheduled jumps. They'd had that fight. Not worth it.

"Royal Leadworth Hospital. Coma ward. Minute from now. Really gotta run guys," she smiled at them apologetically. "I don't have time for manual inputs today."

She pointed her sonic at her wrist and felt the familiar pull behind her navel.

* * *

Amy and Rory were shocked by the state of the hospital. Beds were overturned. Medical equipment was scattered everywhere. The entire place looked trashed.

"Oh God," Amy whispered. A woman holding the hands of two little girls came around the corner at the sound of her voice.

"Officer!"

"What happened?"

"There was a man. A man with a dog. I think Doctor Ramsden's dead. And the nurses."

Amy pulled out her phone and called Rory's phone number. The Doctor answered. "Are you in?"

"Yep. But so's Prisoner Zero."

"He was so angry. He kept shouting and shouting. And that dog. The size of that dog. I swear it was rabid. And he just went mad, attacking everyone."

Amy and Rory slowly backed away from the mother and children. Because the mother wasn't speaking anymore. The children were. In the mother's voice.

"Where did he go, did you see? Has he gone? We hid in the ladies."

The mother began to speak again, observing Amy and Rory's hesitation. "Oh I'm getting it wrong again, aren't I? I'm always doing that. So many mouths." She opened her mouth wide, revealing Prisoner Zero's razor thin teeth. The little girls opened their mouths, revealing the same teeth as well.

"Oh my god!" Rory yelled and he and Amy sprinted off in the other direction. The mother and children were chasing them, still holding hands. Amy and Rory ran into the coma ward at the end of the hall and pushed the door shut just in time, shoving a broom through the handles. Amy backed up, her eyes riveted on the door. Calm, she reminded herself. Channel Rose. She could hear the Doctor yelling through the phone and put it back to her ear. She missed Rose popping into the air behind her. Rose put her hand on the wall next to her to steady herself, sonic still in hand.

"We're in the coma ward, but it's here. It's getting in."

"Which window are you?"

"Sorry?" Amy was momentarily distracted by the cracking sound the broom was making.

"Which window?" he repeated.

"First floor, on the left, fourth from the end."

Suddenly, the broom snapped and the two little girls pulled open the door, mouths still displaying teeth. Rose reached forward and pulled Amy behind her. Rory turned and gaped at Rose.

"How are you here?" he hissed, joining Amy behind Rose, but Rose and Amy ignored him. She wasn't going to question why Rose was here. Right now she didn't care. She was just really glad she was. The multiform closed their mouths and took a few steps into the room. Rose pointed her sonic at the creature, but the multiform ignored her.

"Oh, dear little Amelia Pond. I've watched you grow up. Twelve years, and you never even knew I was there," the woman's eyes flickered over to Rose.

"And you, scanning for me the first day there. You've fought me before. Do you really think I would have stayed in that room then to get caught once she mentioned me to you?" Her gaze flicked back to Amy. "Little Amelia Pond, waiting for her magic Doctor to return. But not this time, Amelia."

Amy's phone buzzed and she glanced down at it. _DUCK_ from Rory's phone. She grabbed Rory and Rose and pulled them down just as a fireman's ladder crashed through the window above them. The Doctor crawled through the broken window with a flourish, bending down to throw his arms around Amy and Rory.

"Right, hello! Am I late?" He stood up and looked at the clock. 11:48. "No, three minutes to go! So still time!" He stepped between Rory and Amy and moved towards the multiform, squeezing Rose's arm as he went by. She looked up at him, but he was watching the multiform. The woman sneered.

"Time for what, Time Lord?"

"Take your disguise off, they'll find you in a heartbeat. Nobody dies."

"The Atraxi will kill me this time. If I'm to die, let there be fire."

"Ok, you came through this world by opening a crack in space and time. Do it again. Just leave."

Rose narrowed her eyes at the multiform. There was no way the multiform opened that crack. She had fallen through the crack and the multiform had followed her through.

"I did not open the crack."

"Somebody did."

"The cracks in the skin of the universe. Don't you know where they came from?"

The Doctor looked at her, trying to hide his confusion. Rose could see him slightly clench his fingers. The woman widened her eyes.

"You don't, do you?" she smirked and switched to a child's taunting voice. "The Doctor in the TARDIS doesn't know. Doesn't know! Doesn't know!" The woman narrowed her eyes and continued in her regular voice. "The universe is cracked. The Pandorica will open. Silence will fall."

The Doctor narrowed his eyes and glanced up at the clock on the wall. 0:00.

"And we're off. Look at that. Look at that!" he cried pointing at the clock. Rose stared at the clock and her mouth opened slightly. Zero. Prisoner Zero. She smiled slightly. Of course.

"Yeah, I know it's just a clock. Whatever. But do you know what's happening right now? In one little bedroom, my team are working. Jeff and the world. And do you know what they're doing? They're spreading the word all over the world, quantum fast. The word is out. And do you know what the word is? The word is Zero. Now, me, if I was up in the sky in a battleship, monitoring all Earth communications, I'd probably take that as a hint. And if I had a whole battle fleet surrounding the planet, I'd be able track a simple old computer virus to its source in, what, under a minute? The source, by the way, is right here." He pulled a phone from his pocket and showed it to the multiform. White light beamed in from the windows and Rose grinned widely. "Oh and I think they just found us!"

"The Atraxi are limited. While I'm still in this form, they'll be unable to detect me. They've tracked a phone, not me." The Doctor's smile widened as he continued.

"Yeah, but this is the good bit. I mean, this is my favorite bit. Do you know what this phone is full of? Pictures of you. Every form you've learned to take, right here." He started scrolling through the phone's menu. "Oh, and being uploaded now! And the final score is: no TARDIS, no screwdriver, two minutes to spare. Who da man?" He threw his arms out proudly to a thunderous silence. He could feel the awkward looks Amy and Rose were shooting each other. "Oh I'm never saying that again. Fine."

Rose watched the woman's eyes meet hers. "Then I shall take a new form." The Doctor didn't notice her gaze.

"Oh, stop it. You know you can't. It takes months to form that kind of psychic link."

"Doctor…" Rose started. She was going to take her body. She'd already taken Rose's form before and now she'd had years in the house with Rose on top of the months Rose spent tracking him. The multiform grinned at her.

"And I've had years of practice."

Rose felt a sudden blackness overtake her consciousness and she was ripped from herself. It was as though someone had pulled a rug out from under her mind. She felt her body hit the floor, hard, and she could vaguely hear Amy's scream and the Doctor's voice. His new voice.

"No! Rose? You've got to hold on! Rose? Don't sleep! You've got to stay awake, please!"

Amy was holding Rose's hand with both of her own while the Doctor clasped Rose's face in his hands. As he had done so many times before. New hands, same Rose. Always in trouble. Rory was watching the multiform though.

"Doctor."

The Doctor looked up to see the multiform hadn't taken Rose's shape. It was him. His old body. Brown suit, mussed hair, dark brown eyes. He was standing confidently with this hands in his pockets.

The edges of the image became blurry and glowed red and suddenly he switched forms. He took shape of a tall, thin, younger man. He had floppy brown hair and quite a chin. Green eyes. Ruined clothing. Hands clasped behind his back.

"Well that's rubbish. Who's that supposed to be?" Rory looked a little confused. Amy didn't look up from Rose's face.

"It's you," Rory answered.

"Me? Is that what I look like?" The multiform kept switching between his two bodies, as if it couldn't get a lock on one. Whenever the he spoke, his new body seemed to win out. The Doctor narrowed his eyes.

"You don't know?"

"Busy day." He got up and made his way to the current form of himself. "Why me though? You're linked with her. Why are you copying me?" The Doctor studied himself in fascination and watched as Rose moved out from behind him, her hand in his. Not Rose. Not the real Rose. A copy of Rose. His Rose never had such a sinister smile on her face. He'd seen all her faces.

"I'm not. Poor Rose Tyler. Still so broken inside. Still so broken from all the times you've left her. All for the sin of loving you." The multiform glowed and took his previous body's shape and pulled Rose under his arm as she spoke, never breaking contact with her. The multiform Rose looked up at his old face, dark lust spreading across her features. She kissed his old self hungrily and pulled away to shoot the Doctor a withering look. "What a disappointment you've been."

"No…" the Doctor said and the multiform switched himself to his current body, still holding multiform Rose possessively close to his body. Confirmation.

"She's dreaming about me because she can hear me." He rushed back over to Rose and took her face in his hands again. "Rose, don't just hear me, listen to me. Remember the room, the room in the house Amy couldn't see. Remember you went inside? I tried to stop you, but you're so stubborn. You went in the room. You went inside, Rose. Dream about what you saw."

Rose could hear his voice, his new voice washing over her, guiding her. Telling her where to go. He pulled her through her memories, one by one, until she reached the right one. The multiform, face to face, in that room, as she blasted it with her screwdriver. The multiform could feel her mind changing and grew panicked.

"No! No, no!" the multiform Rose cried and they changed back into their true form. The Doctor let go of Rose's face and stood, walking slowly to the multiform. Amy placed her hands on either side of Rose's face as the Doctor had, mumbling softly to her.

"Well done Prisoner Zero. A perfect impersonation of yourself."

White light beams shot through the window directly onto the multiform, who withered in pain. The Atraxi voice boomed out over the intercom.

" _Prisoner Zero is located. Prisoner Zero is restrained."_

The Doctor kept watching the multiform, and it stopped moving long enough to make eye contact with him.

"Silence, Doctor. Silence will fall."

The Doctor watched in apathy as Prisoner Zero disappeared from view. The sounds of the Atraxi shipped dissipated and the Doctor ran to the window to stick his head out. Behind them, Rose was stirring in Amy's hands slightly. Rory looked over at the Doctor, who was typing on his phone furiously.

"The sun. It's back to normal, right? That's, that's good, yeah? It means it's over?"

Rose continued to stir and Amy gasped when she opened her eyes.

"Rose! Are you ok?" Amy asked anxiously.

Rose blinked a few times at her and scrunched up her nose at the pain in her head. She started to sit up, with Amy's help. The Doctor knelt down next to her and placed a hand on her cheek. She looked up at him.

"What happened?"

Amy answered her. "He did it. The Doctor did it."

The Doctor, hand still on Rose's cheek, grimaced. "No, I didn't." He pulled his hand back, stood up and went back to typing on Rory's phone. Rose watched him and sat up a little farther.

"Get them back here," she muttered angrily. The Doctor grinned slightly, his back turned to her, still working on the phone.

"Yes, ma'am."

"What are you doing?" Rory asked.

"Tracking the signal back. Sorry, in advance," he added.

"About what?"

"The bill." He put the phone to his ear. "Oi! I didn't say you could go! Article fifty seven of the Shadow Proclamation! This is a fully established level five planet, and you were going to burn it. What? Did you think no one was watching? You lot, back here, now!" He tossed the phone back to Rory and Rose grinned at him slightly, and started to stand, leaning on Amy for help.

"Ok. Now I've done it."

The Doctor reached forward and grabbed Rose's hand, pulling her away from them towards the door. Amy followed quickly, but Rory was frozen.

"Did he just bring them back? Did he just save the world from aliens and then bring all the aliens back again?"

"Where are you going?" Amy called.

"The roof!" he exclaimed and then thought further. "No, hang on." He veered right into a door, pulling Rose into the men's locker room. He dropped Rose's hand and began sifting through various articles of clothing strewn around the room.

"What's in here?"

"I'm saving the world. I need a decent shirt! To hell with the raggedy. Time to put on a show!"

Rose rolled her eyes at him. Some things never change. He began to strip down as Amy and Rory came to a stop next to her. He had managed to keep the tall lean body he'd had before. She shouldn't be enjoying this. Rory was still very flustered.

"You just summoned aliens back to Earth. Actual aliens, deadly aliens, aliens of death! And now you're taking your clothes off. Amy, he's taking his clothes off."

The Doctor started unbuttoning his pants.

"Turn your back if it embarrasses you." He leaned over to pull his pants down. Rose tilted her head at his bent over form and Amy raised her eyebrows. Rory couldn't be calmed.

"Are you stealing clothes now? Those clothes belong to people, you know!" He turned his back resolutely and looked over when he noticed neither Amy hadn't turned. Rose was basically his aunt. He couldn't tell her to turn around. But Amy was his sort of girlfriend.

"Amy, are you not going to turn your back?" he whispered to her and Amy raised an eyebrow.

"Nope."

Rose covered Amy's eyes for good measure. She really shouldn't be enjoying this.

* * *

The Doctor pushed through the door to the roof with both hands, Rose, Amy, and Rory trailing him. He had decided on a reddish patterned shirt and dark trousers, a little short for his height and ankle height boots. Suspenders were attached to his trousers, but currently lay at his side. He hadn't been able to decide on a tie though. He still had several draped around his neck as he waked up to the Atraxi eye and glared at it. Rose followed up right behind him and stopped a few steps behind him, her arms crossed. Let the Atraxi witness her here. Let them know that she was aware that they had broken their agreement. Let them fear her. Amy and Rory hovered behind, closer to the door.

"So this was a good idea, was it? They were leaving!" Amy reminded him.

"Leaving is good. Never coming back is better," he answered her and raised his voice to address the Atraxi. "Come on, then! The Doctor will see you now!"

The eye detached from the ship and swooped down to their level, right in front of the Doctor, studying him. Amy and Rory jumped back a bit in alarm, but Rose just glared at it. She'd dealt with this too many times for them to shock her. The Atraxi eye scanned the Doctor quickly. Unfazed, he simply continued to dress, pulling his suspenders up, as the Atraxi spoke.

"You are not of this world."

"No, but I've put a lot of work into it," he replied smoothly. The eye scanned Rose over his shoulder.

"Marion Wolfe. Defender of the Earth" Rose rolled her eyes.

"Oh, now you remember what world I protect! Couldn't have bothered to contact me first, yeah?" she huffed, but the eye's attention was back on the Doctor. He turned his head towards Rose, still facing the Atraxi, slowly sifting through the ties on his neck.

"Marion Wolfe?"

Rose shot his back a look. "Middle name."

He turned to look her in the eye quickly and held up a tie choice.

"Hmmm, I don't know…" Rose scrunched her nose at him, and he pulled off that option, tossing it to Rory behind them. He turned back to the Atraxi eye and repeated the process, holding up a different option.

"What do you think?" The Atraxi ignored him.

"Is this world important?" The Doctor looked taken aback by that, and a little angry.

"Important. What's that mean? Important. Six billion people live here. Is that important? Here's a better question. Is this world a threat to the Atraxi?" He threw the second option backward and it landed on Amy. He began tying the final option as he spoke. "Well, come on. You're monitoring the whole planet. Is this world a threat?"

A projection of the globe appeared in between them and cycled through several images quickly- the Third Reich, the atom bomb, the pyramids, Ghandi.

"No," the Atraxi answered.

"Are the peoples of this world guilty of any crime by the laws of the Atraxi?"

The images changed to photos of cultures around the world, people going about their daily lives in whatever corner of the globe they inhabited. After a moment the Atraxi spoke.

"No."

"Ok. One more. Just one. Is this world protected?"

The projection started rifling through images of all of Earths would be invaders- Cybermen, Daleks, Sycorax, all of them.

"Because you're not the first to come here. Oh there have been so many. And what you've got to ask is, what happened to them?"

The projection changed to image after image of the Doctor. All of his previous bodies. All of his previous faces. Rose stared at them, dread filling her. She knew what was coming. What she'd see. Her eyes widened, and she stared transfixed at the projection.

Her first Doctor. Close cropped, older, rougher around the edges. In pain. He always looked like he was in so much pain. He stared out at her from the screen with those piercing blue eyes and her breath caught. Followed by him. The him who'd loved her. And left her. Who never kissed her and couldn't tell her he loved her. The him who gave her John. She felt he was staring at her, taunting her in the image. The Oncoming Storm, those black eyes. She'd never see those eyes again, loving or terrible. She felt a single tear fall from her eyes, widened past the point of comfort.

But the Doctor wasn't seeing any of this. He was winning. He was getting that familiar stirring in his hearts of a victory. He was going to save the Earth again and he had Rose at his side and nothing could touch him. He was invincible. He walked through his final projection to glare at the Atraxi, fully dressed and grinning smugly with the knowledge of his win.

"Hello. I'm the Doctor. Basically, run."

The Atraxi eye backed up into it's ship again and with increasing haste, flew out of the atmosphere. Amy and Rory watched it go with shock. Rose was staring where his face had been. She had seen him. Again. She hadn't seen his face in over twelve years. And she'd lost him. Again. Rose didn't feel the localized burning sensation on the skin of her chest. She was fixated on that point. She absently put her hand up over her chest, covering the TARDIS vial and pressed it deeper into her chest, using the feeling to bring her back to consciousness.

The Doctor flinched back from his chest and grabbed something out of it. A glowing hot TARDIS key. He grinned at his hand and reached behind him to grab Rose's hand, pulling her off of the open roof and down the stairs through the hospital. In the back of her mind she registered that Amy was asking them a question. She was too far away to answer. He was pulling her across the lawn. Humming. There was humming. The humming that was in her mind again. She could focus on it now. It was still there. And it was getting louder.

The Doctor pulled Rose into her garden and stopped in front of his TARDIS to stare at his proudly. He let go of Rose's hand and turned to her, holding up the glowing TARDIS key for her to see. He didn't notice Rose's emotionless face. He turned to the TARDIS and held the key out.

"Ok. What have you got for me this time?" he asked her and slid the key into the lock. Gently, the TARDIS let him open the door and he stood in awe of what was in front of him. Glowing.

"Look at you. Oh you sexy thing. Look at you," he complimented her. He had the same look of joy on his face as a child who had gotten exactly what they wanted for Christmas.

Rose could hear Amy calling her name from a distance. She was coming for her. Rose turned to answer her. She should let her know where she is.

"Amy?" Rose began, but she couldn't finish her sentence.

The Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and yanked her into the new TARDIS, overjoyed, and shut the door quickly.

Amy and Rory skittered to a halt, right outside the TARDIS, and watched as it disappeared, with the Doctor and Rose inside.

* * *

Rose stood right inside the new TARDIS, staring at the door.

"You should take me back."

The Doctor wasn't listening, he was circling the new console with glee. He was pressing all the new buttons and fiddling with everything. She was so new. And used. All at the same time. New and shiny and classic. And beautiful. His TARDIS was always beautiful. He didn't hear Rose.

"You need to take me back," she tried a little louder, eyes still on the door. She couldn't turn around and look at her. If she looked at the TARDIS, she would relive her memories. Her most painful memories that she had locked away from herself years. Just being this far inside and hearing the humming in her mind was almost too much. She was barely holding it together. She couldn't see her. The Doctor didn't answer her.

"Take me back!" she screamed, her voice cracking, eyes squeezed shut.

The Doctor looked up from the console in shock. Rose had her back to him, fists bunched, facing the door. He could see her shaking slightly. He frowned at her back, confused. Rose Tyler was in the TARDIS again. As it should be. Why was she yelling?

"We're just making a quick trip to the moon to break her in. A brand new TARDIS, Rose!" he exclaimed, a little hurt at her for not understanding the significance of this. He hadn't had a new TARDIS in a while. He was ecstatic! Rose was being a bit of a downer.

"We left Amy. I don't leave Amy. I'm not you. Take me back." She still hadn't looked farther than the door. The Doctor walked up behind her softly. She could feel him moving closer and tensed, willing him to not touch her. She really couldn't handle that. He stopped a few inches behind her. She could feel the heat from his body, but he wasn't touching her. She was thankful for that at least.

"Rose, this will only take a moment. I didn't mean to take you somewhere you didn't want to go…I thought you'd be happy to be…you know…back?"

Rose abruptly spun to glare up at him. He was so tall. At least as tall as Amy had gotten.

"Back? I am not back! I shouldn't even be here! If anyone should be here, it's Amy! And you left her. Again. And you made me leave her this time too! Why would I be happy about that?" She was poking him backwards with her finger, closer to the console. She hadn't noticed her surroundings yet. She couldn't focus on anything other than him and his new stupid face. He put his hands up in surrender when he was backed into the console.

"I'm sorry Rose. I'm so so sorry."

His familiar apology cut her to the core. Her anger seemed to leave her at that moment and she slumped inward, suddenly exhausted. Just this morning, she had stolen toast from Amy and left to go on a routine jump. And now she was in the TARDIS, with him, after having saved the world. This was all too fast for her. The TARDIS. She was looking at the floor and noticed it wasn't grating. It was clear plastic, illuminating thousands of cords running below. She frowned and looked up and around her. The TARDIS was different. But how could she be different?

The Doctor watched her, warily, as she started to look around the new TARDIS. This was an angry Rose. This was a Rose to be wary of. How long had it been for her? Why was she here? Angry Rose wouldn't answer those questions. He had to proceed cautiously. Talk about something safe. The TARDIS. Rose had seemed so overjoyed to see it earlier, maybe that was safe?

"What do you think?" he tried, holding his hands out and grinning a little. She wasn't looking at him. She was still looking around the room. She slowly started to make her way around the console, touching things lightly.

Rose was amazed. The TARDIS had changed. She still felt like herself of course, so authentically her. Golden and round and comforting. She sounded the same in her mind, certainly. But she looked different. Old and new all at the same time. She smiled softly to herself as she touched a hot sink faucet. She risked a glance up at his face. He was watching her with a grin on his face. His eyes were full of apprehension.

"How?"

"Well, I was crashing. The TARDIS was crashing. And when I landed, she was very angry with me. Very very angry. And she had a rather bad knock when we landed. The engines were phasing, so I had to go in to fix them. When I landed again, she locked us out as she was rebuilding. She can be shy sometimes, can't you dear?." He rubbed the edge of the console happily and watched the corner of Rose's mouth twitch up a little.

"And why were you crashing?" she asked, trying to keep things light. His face darkened. Wrong question for light.

"I had just…well I had just…" Rose held up her hand to quiet him. She remembered now. New face. First time on. She wasn't ready to talk about that at the moment.

"Got it," she said and turned her back again to look up at the second level. There was a second level now. "So the TARDIS can change too?"

He knew what she was getting at. "The TARDIS can change her interface. What she looks like to us. She's still the same TARDIS."

Rose threw him a look over her shoulder, and started up the stairs to the second level.

"Sounds like someone else we know." The TARDIS warmed in her mind at the statement and she paused on the stairs, briefly, closing her eyes at the sheer comfort of it. Someone else in her mind. It was bliss. She hadn't felt that since she had become trapped in this universe. Without John.

The Doctor could feel her mental tendrils reaching out to the TARDIS and he could feel the TARDIS enveloping her mind gently. That really shouldn't be possible. Rose was human. With no telepathic ability. None at all. At least last he had checked. He tried to reach his mind out to her, to brush the edge of her consciousness. Maybe he would get a read on what was happening. The TARDIS blocked his advances. This was not a time to intrude. He watched her, stopped on the stairs. He couldn't take the suspense. He didn't like not having the answers to…well, everything.

"How are you here, Rose?"

Rose started walking up the stairs again and turned to study him on the second level, over the railing.

"I don't know what you mean."

"Of course you know what I mean. What are you doing," he flapped his arms around indiscriminately, "here?" Rose narrowed her eyes at him slightly.

"I recall someone dragging me here and taking off without asking me first."

"That's not what I mean."

"Then what do you mean?"

"You know what I mean!" He was growing visibly flustered.

"No, I really don't. Ask what you want to know Doctor."

"How-" he started loudly and abruptly stopped, taking a moment to compose himself, smoothing down his jacket. "How are you in this universe?"

Rose leaned back a bit from the railing, straightening up. Of course he would want answers immediately. She wasn't sure if she was ready to give them yet.

"How long has it been for you?" she asked and he frowned.

"I'm sorry?"

"How long has it been for you? Since you saw me last?" Emotion drained from his face and she knew she'd have to poke him a bit to get any answers. Much like he was poking her. "Go on. How long?"

"Four years."

She tried to keep her face composed. It had only been four years for the ageless god and she had spent well over a decade since she'd seen him. How was that fair? He could see –or rather feel- her mentally reeling from him admission.

"Why? How long has it been for you?" Her look seared into his, white hot.

"It has been seventeen years since I saw you last."

His look filled with dread and he stared up at her, devastated. Seventeen years? How was that even possible? She looked the exact same as when he had left her last. How could it have been seventeen years? How old did that even make her? Did she even know?

"Rose…" he started, but the words died in his throat. So long. His beautiful, strong Rose, alone so long. His hearts ached for her. He started to walk towards the stairs she was at the top of. She didn't move, but her tone was icy.

"Don't." He stopped at the bottom and looked up at her on the railing.

"But Rose…I-"

"Just don't, yeah? I don't want your pity. I don't need it." Her look softened. "I've had a good life."

He frowned a little at the age conveyed in that statement. People said that on their deathbeds. She didn't look a day over twenty.

"How old are you?" Her serious demeanor cracked.

"Oi! Rude!" He grinned up at her.

"It's a reasonable question, Rose. You say it's been seventeen years!"

"Still doesn't mean you ask my age. Again, rude!" but she grinned back down at him slightly. Smiling felt nice. She broke his gaze and started to move around the second level, dragging her hand on the railing. He tried to start again.

"How are you here, Rose?" he tried again. She slowed her steps momentarily, but didn't stop. She was saved from having to answer by the sound of the TARDIS landing. They both looked towards the door and the Doctor grinned widely, clapping his hands together.

"First trip in a new TARDIS. Oh I love this feeling!" He ran towards the door and pulled it open, breathing in deeply. He looked to the right, the left, his feet still just inside the TARDIS and then suddenly pulled back and shut the door. He ran back to the console and started pushing the controls. Rose gaped at him.

"I thought this was the first trip? You love this feeling. You literally just said that!"

"Nah, it's just nice to take her out for a first spin. I've been to the moon. Loads of times. So have you for that matter, Rose Tyler. The moon's boring. The flight was the important part!" He pulled the last knob with a flourish and the sound of the TARDIS could be heard again, taking off. He went around the console and leaned against it, arms folded, studying her.

"Now, you will tell me what you're doing here in this universe, Rose Tyler or I won't take you back to Earth."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You wouldn't."

"You're right. I wouldn't. But I will be very cross with you. I think I'm not nice when I'm cross. Haven't really tried it out yet. Do you want to test it?" She rolled her eyes at him and stopped walking on the second level to sit on the top step. She looked down at her hands and started picking at her nails. He opened his mouth to ask again, but she answered him.

"Cracks."

"I'm sorry. Did you just say cracks?"

"Cracks. In the skin of the universe. That's what Prisoner Zero said. Do you really not know where they come from?" She glanced up at him quickly. He was just frozen, staring at her.

"No. I really-what does that-how is that important?" he spluttered out. She grinned at her hands.

"I was the one who brought Prisoner Zero to the Atraxi. I hunted him down and took him there. That's why he knew my form. Did you know that?"

"No, how would I possibly know that?" He was getting really frustrating now. Evasive Rose was worse than Angry Rose. At least he could understand Angry Rose.

"The crack that Prisoner Zero came through. I came through that same crack."

"You were in prison?" She rolled her eyes at him.

"No, I was not in prison. I was making a jump to the Atraxi prison-my Atraxi prison-and I fell through." She held up her wrist, flashing him her vortex manipulator.

"Wait, your Atraxi prison? You can't possibly have your own prison. What are you- oh!" He stared at her, suddenly understanding. His face went from confusion, to victory, to horror.

"You fell through a crack from the other universe?" he whispered. She nodded and looked back at her hands.

"It was a routine jump. I was going to check on Prisoner Zero. I had captured him and brought him there a few months back. But instead of landing there, like I was supposed to I ended up…here," she finished vaguely. She could feel the familiar panic overtake her as she remembered the disorienting terror of realizing she had left her universe. Her desperation to get back. He was watching her, her pain and sorrow plain in her voice.

"You weren't supposed to come back," he guessed. She didn't want to be here. She wanted her own universe. She balled her hands into fists, still staring at them.

"It was supposed to be a routine jump. That's why I was on my own, with my light gear. I wasn't prepared to get trapped in another universe."

"Trapped? Oh Rose," he breathed and went up the stairs towards her. He could see her tense as he got closer so he slowed until he was only a few steps below her, their faces level. "This was never supposed to happen to you."

Rose felt anger flood her body. She slammed her fists on the ground and glared at him.

"Supposed to? Did you have some sort of plan? When you left me there? How my life was supposed to go? Great and Mighty Time Lord, planning out our lives and walking away. You just plan it all out and leave us behind to live it!" she spat at him, her voice dripping in venom. He could feel his own anger reaching her level. He'd forgotten that she could take him head on in a fight. He'd forgotten how stubborn she could be.

"I left you there for your own good! You were supposed to be happy! The Metacrisis was supposed to take care of you! He could age with you and give you a life! A real human life! Something I never could do!" he yelled back at her and she stood up angrily.

"Well doesn't look I'm aging, does it?" she hissed and pushed past him down the stairs. He rounded on her, following.

"Where is he anyways? He was supposed to take care of you! He was me and he would never leave you." He could feel himself hitting a sensitive subject. He could see her slowing down her steps and feel the turmoil gripping her mind.

"He was never you," she replied quietly, but he didn't notice. A small part of him warned him to stop but he was too intent on winning this. She had been safe. She had been secure. He had set up her life so that she could be happy in a way he never could be. He couldn't admit to himself that he was jealous. She got a happy ending with- well, him. And he had to travel the universe alone. If he'd planned it all out, cheated at the game, then he'd stacked the deck in her favor, not his. As he allowed poisonous thoughts to overtake his mind, he strove to win the argument. Say the most hurtful thing. Be the winner, whatever the cost.

"You didn't fall through that crack at all, did you? You got sick of him and left. Saw a crack and thought: _that's a good idea, I'm going to_ _run away_!" A stinging slap silenced him. He put his hand up to his face and stared down at her. She had hot tears streaming down her face and her eyes were full of fire. He could feel the anger rolling off her in waves.

"Don't you dare. Don't you dare speak of things you don't understand."

She stalked off towards the door and he looked down at the controls. Too far. He always took things too far.

"I'm sorry. That was uncalled for."

"You don't get it, do you? I loved him. I was happy. We had a life there that I had worked so hard for! And then I fell through that crack to here and it was all ripped away from me. Torn from me, just as you were torn from me when I had gotten trapped there the first time. I'm not allowed to have a good life. I'm not allowed to be happy. Whenever I'm happy, it gets ripped away. I thought for sure this time…with Amy…" she was cut off by a dry sob escaping her chest. He gently walked up behind her. He didn't touch her, as much as he ached for it. His every instinct revolved around keeping her from harm. Even if he had caused it.

"Rose. I'm sorry."

"I was rebuilding a life here, you know? Amy and I are a family. And you're here again to rip it all away. You're going to take her away and my life will be torn from me again."

"Come with us then, Rose." She laughed harshly at that and turned around to look at him, wiping tears from her face.

"I yell at you, slap you, and you invite me to come with you?" She grinned slightly.

"Oh I'm used to it. It's a Tyler woman family tradition practically. Something you excel at apparently. Did she tutor you or something, because I mean, wow," he muttered, rubbing his cheek. He watched her face for any hint of amusement. She didn't answer immediately.

"I've been traveling on my own for so long now. I don't think I could travel with you again. Amy needs to go though. She needs you. You didn't see her when you left. She kept insisting you'd come back for her."

"You were there? After she met me?" Rose looked up at him, deciding how much she could tell him. This was going to hurt them both.

"I was laying in her garden when you landed. I fell through _that_ crack, Doctor."

He inhaled sharply, studying her face. She had been there. Right after he regenerated. He could have seen her, have been with her. She had been so close. He just hadn't seen it. He hadn't seen her. She shrugged at him.

"I stayed there. She was alone."

"No, she has an aunt." Rose frowned at him.

"No, Amy was alone. She lived in that huge house all alone and I couldn't leave her. I sent messages through the vortex and waited, hoping someone would hear and try to rescue me. Rebuild the dimension cannon. Anything. But no one ever came. At first, I'd been terrified you would show up again, but the years wore on and you never did. When Amy was old enough, I started making jumps around this universe, trying to find another crack. If I could find another one, then I might have been able to get back. I've never found another one."

He studied her face. She was so close, right here in front of him, eyes shiny and bright. His Rose. And he couldn't touch her or comfort her. She was closed to him. She'd spent so long without him and she didn't need him anymore. Not the way she had needed him. Not the way he still needed her. The way he always needed her.

"Why didn't you try to find me?"

"It was 1996 when I landed. I couldn't risk crossing any time streams." That was her logical answer. Her other answer hurt too much to think about.

The TARDIS started wheezing out her landing, precluding more conversation and Rose looked over her shoulder at the door and then back to him, eyebrow raised in question.

"We're back in your garden. Same spot. Cross my hearts." He grinned and crossed his hearts with this fingers. He flung open the door and stepped outside of the TARDIS, Rose following him out, and shut the door behind her. It was night and Rose frowned at him. Not the same time obviously. She hoped they weren't too far off.

Amy was standing at the garden entrance in her night gown, staring at the two of them.

"Sorry about dragging Rose off earlier. Brand new TARDIS. Bit exciting. Just a quick hop to the moon and back to run her in. She's ready for the big stuff now." He patted the TARDIS happily and Amy ran forward to pull Rose into a tight hug. Rose returned it a bit guiltily. She must have been terrified. She rubbed her back soothingly as Amy spoke over her shoulder at the Doctor.

"It's you. You came back."

"Course I came back. I always come back. Something wrong with that?"

Amy pulled back a little from Rose, keeping her arms around her still, and frowned slightly. "And you kept the clothes."

"Well I just saved the world. The whole planet, for about the millionth time, no charge. Yeah, shoot me. I kept the clothes." Amy frowned fully at him. Rose could feel her trying to keep her cool. Her hands were shaking slightly on Rose's arms.

"Including the bow tie."

His hand went to his neck to fiddle with it. "Yeah, it's cool. Bow ties are cool."

Amy released Rose and scoffed at him. "Are you from another planet?" Rose grinned at her.

"Yeah," he answered, oblivious. She glanced at Rose who rolled her eyes at him.

"Ok…"

"So what do you think?" he continued.

"Of what?"

"Other planets. Want to check some out?" Amy looked lost.

"What does that mean?"

"It means…well it means come with me." Amy grabbed Rose's hand suddenly, her grip tight. Rose watched her face.

"Where?"

"Wherever you like," he answered, smiling brightly. His eyes darted down to Amy's vise grip on Rose and then back up to her face. Maybe Amy could help with getting Rose to come along too. She was obviously attached to her. That could help his case.

"All that stuff that happened. The hospital, the spaceships, Prisoner Zero."

"Oh don't worry, that's just the beginning. There's loads more," he bragged confidently.

"Yeah but those things, those amazing things, all that stuff…" Amy dropped Rose's hand and took a step towards the Doctor. "That was two years ago."

"What?" Rose cried and glared at him.

"Oh…oops," he muttered. Rose gaped at him and then at Amy.

"Amy, I'm so sorry! He just took off before I could say no!"

"Oh, I don't blame you Rose. You would never leave me - willingly." She pulled Rose in for a hug and shot the Doctor a look over Rose's shoulder. He grinned guiltily.

"So that's…"

"Fourteen years!" she snapped, still hugging Rose tightly. She'd missed her so much. She'd never been alone like that before. Not since Rose had come into her life all those years ago. And just when she'd needed her the most.

"Fourteen years since fish custard. Amy Pond, the girl who waited. You've waited long enough."

Amy let go of Rose, but kept hold of her hand, as though she'd disappear if she let go.

"When I was a kid you said there was a swimming pool and a library, and the swimming pool was in the library."

"Yeah, not sure where it's got to now. It'll turn up. So, coming?"

"No," Amy snapped. "You kidnapped Rose!"

"I did not kidnap Rose! And you wanted to come fourteen years ago?"

"Does Rose get an opinion?" Rose asked, but they ignored her.

"I grew up!"

"Don't worry. I'll soon fix that," he grinned and snapped his fingers. The TARDIS door swung inward and Rose could see Amy's face bathed in a golden glow. Rose loosened her grip on Amy, so that she could experience the TARDIS for the first time the right way. Amy dropped Rose's hand without noticing and stepped inside the TARDIS.

Rose and the Doctor followed Amy inside the TARDIS. Rose stood next to her and watched her face, smiling softly as she watched her take it all in for the first time. You only saw the TARDIS for the first time once, after all. And she was here to see it for Amy. Watching it made her ache for the times when the TARDIS was new to her too. Instinctively, she reached out her mind to the TARDIS and sighed softly when the TARDIS brushed her consciousness back warmly.

The Doctor was moving around the TARDIS with a flourish, showing off, watching Amy's reaction from the corner of his eye. He came back to stand next to her, on her other side, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Well? Anything to say? Any passing remarks? I've heard them all." Rose rolled her eyes as Amy continued to look around, eyes wide in awe.

"I…I'm in my nightie…" she finally managed and Rose bit her lip to keep from laughing. Such an Amy response.

"Oh, don't worry. Plenty of clothes in the wardrobe. And possibly, a swimming pool." He stopped by the heart of the TARDIS and looked up towards the ceiling. Rose could feel him reach out to the TARDIS mentally and pulled herself back. No need for him to know about that yet.

"So, all of time and space, everything that ever happened or ever will." He turned to look at Rose and Amy. "Where do you two want to start?"

Amy narrowed her eyes at him and grabbed Rose's hand, pulling her towards the console.

"You are so sure we're coming."

"Yeah, I am," he answered, glancing quickly at Rose. He wasn't entirely sure about her. But confidence could help.

"Why?" Amy asked suspiciously.

"Cause you're the Scottish girl in an English village, and I know how that feels." He started fiddling with the console, walking around pushing and pulling and pressing with glee.

"Oh, do you?"

"All these years living here, most of your life, with a Londoner live-in, and you've still got that accent. Yeah, you're coming."

"And what about Rose?" He froze in mid action and looked up at Amy and then over to Rose.

"Oh, Rose Tyler in the TARDIS? That's the way it should be," he answered softly.

Rose's breath hitched in her throat and her mouth grew dry. She knew she couldn't answer that. Amy squeezed her hand supportively and looked down at her.

"I'm not going without you, Rose."

Rose felt incredibly pressured. Amy had to go, she'd waited twelve years for this. Fourteen, she remembered with a pang of grief. She'd missed the last two years of her life. What had she done? Who had she met? Was she still a kiss-a-gram? She hated that she didn't have the answers to those questions.

But her? She wasn't sure if she was ready for this. This was never something she ever thought would happen to her again. She would just keep working with UNIT and making jumps and doing missions. And that would be that. She would watch Amy grow up, get married, become a…great-aunt? Grandmother? Become a part of their lives too, in whatever capacity. And yet…

Traveling in the TARDIS had been the happiest years of her life. Sometimes she could believe that those brief moments with him had been worth all of the heartache and pain. Sometimes she could believe it. The nerves of the TARDIS stopping somewhere new and the thrill of the chase. Running across the universe. Running away, running to, running towards.

Amy's eyes pleaded with her to say yes. Begged her. She squeezed her hand again quickly and Rose realized she'd been quiet for a while.

"Alright. I'll go. For you," she said to Amy, avoiding the Doctor's gaze. Suddenly, Amy looked up at him, as though she'd just remembered something.

"Can you get me back for tomorrow morning?"

"Doubtful," Rose snorted and the Doctor shot her a look.

"It's a time machine. I can get you back five minutes ago," he said pointedly, straightening up jacket. Rose frowned at her.

"What's tomorrow?" she asked.

"Nothing. Nothing. Just, you know, stuff." Amy wouldn't meet her eye and instead kept herself trained on the Doctor.

"Alright then. Back in time for stuff," he answered.

A light whirring noise could be heard and a slot on the console popped open, pushing upwards a new sonic screwdriver. It was bronze and metal with a green tip, larger than hers. She pulled hers out of her pocket to compare, just for good measure. The Doctor, who seemed to have been expecting this, clapped happily.

"Oh! A new one! Lovely! Thanks, dear!" he whispered patting the TARDIS. Rose held hers to her chest protectively, sticking her tongue out at the Doctor when he looked at her smugly. Amy was still staring around the TARDIS, and Rose could see the beginnings of panic on her face. And just like Amy always did when she was terrified, she laid on the bravado thick.

She spun to look at the Doctor suspiciously. To the untrained eye, she was calm as you please.

"Why me?"

"Why not?" he countered and Amy went around the console to him.

"No seriously. You're asking me to run away with you in the middle of the night."

"It's a fair question," Rose cut in and Amy nodded back at her.

"Yes, thank you Rose. Why me?" she repeated.

"I don't know. Fun. Do I have to have a reason?" He started fiddling with the console again and Rose could see him avoiding something he didn't want to answer truthfully. Tinkering with the TARDIS had been his avoidance maneuver of choice when she had traveled with him. That apparently hadn't changed.

"People always have a reason," Amy pressed.

"Do I look like people?"

"Yes."

He paused, and glanced at Rose. Abruptly, his eyes fell down to the console and he wouldn't meet either of their eyes.

"Been knocking around on my own for a while. My choice, but I've started talking to myself all the time. It's giving me an earache," he answered and Rose felt such incredible sadness for him. He did terribly on his own. How long had he been alone? _Probably only four years_ , a little voice in her head answered and she squashed it. Comparing their timelines came with a trigger warning in her head now. She didn't want to think about it.

"You're lonely. That's it? Just that?"

"Just that, promise."

Rose watched Amy accept his bluff and studied his face. His new face was so young and excitable. And his eyes were still so old. He looked over at the screen and quickly turned it off when Amy turned her back, forgetting Rose was in the room. She'd have to investigate later. Amy was at the railing, staring around the TARDIS again and Rose could see panicked Amy beginning to resurface. The Doctor could see it too. He joined her at the railing.

"So, are you ok, then? Because this place, sometimes it can make people feel, you know..."

"I'm fine. It's just, there's a whole world in here. Just like you said. It's all true. I thought- well I started to think that maybe you were just like a madman in a box."

Rose laughed out loud at that and the Doctor grinned.

"Amy Pond, there's something you'd better understand about me, because it's important, and one day your life may depend on it. I am definitely a madman in a box."

He laughed and ran to the console. Amy followed standing on his right side and Rose took his left. He gripped the lever and looked at Amy.

"Goodbye Leadworth!"

He looked over at Rose. Here again. The way it should be. He grinned at her.

"Hello everything!"

* * *

So there it is! My first episode rewrite is complete! Thank you so much for taking the time to read it! What do you think? I want to hear from you!

To everyone who had already read and reviewed, thank you so much for your kind words! You keep me writing and I love how each of you engage with the material in a different way! It is so wonderful to read! Keep it up! Y'all are the best!


	4. The Beast Below: Part One

_Rose stomped up the steps of Leadworth Primary School, livid. Her shoulder bag banged against her thigh and she pulled her sweater sleeve down over her wrist to cover her manipulator. She tried to avoid Amelia's school as much as possible. When she had taken her to school the first day, she was worried that someone would ask something along the lines of "Who is this strange woman bringing you to school?" but everyone had reacted as though it was perfectly normal for a seven year old girl to switch guardians without a blink of an eye. They had all introduced themselves warmly and tried to rope her into various parenting activities. Rose tried to avoid them like the plague, citing that she was just Amelia's mother's sister come to stay for a few weeks, but they wouldn't take no for an answer so she started avoiding the school. Easier than continually saying no. Also easier said than done apparently._

 _But Rose wanted to be nowhere but here at this very moment. She yanked the front door open and glared at the secretary in the office. She cowered slightly and rushed back to the principal's office to warn her that_ that _woman was here. Rose pushed into the office and stood there, her hands on her hips and her foot tapping on the cold linoleum. The principal, a bespectacled older woman with short bobbed hair and an anxious expression, came out to greet her, hand extended._

" _Mrs. Roe, pleasure to see you again Mrs. Tyler," she started._

" _Miss. Where's Amelia?" Rose snapped._

 _The principal swallowed nervously and straightened her top._

" _Amelia is in the counselor's office. There has been another incident."_

" _I was told on the phone. What sort of incident. Is she ok?"_

" _She…well she…" Mrs. Roe started, at a loss for words. Rose raised an eyebrow at her._

" _Yes?"_

" _She bit the counselor, Miss. Tyler. We are very concerned with her mental well-being. I'm afraid actions must be taken."_

" _Actions. What actions?" Rose scoffed. "And why did she bite this counselor anyways?"_

 _The principal blinked and straightened her glasses at this woman. Didn't she care that her niece had bit an adult?_

" _Well, we think she should start seeing a psychiatrist, for starters. If she doesn't improve, there is a new elementary school for maladjusted youth opening up in South Leadworth that we think could be very-"_

 _Rose cut her off. "Never going to happen. Why did she bite the counselor?"_

" _I think you should ask the counselor that. Follow me Miss. Tyler." She opened the office door and motioned her out. Rose followed her down the corridor to the counselor's office._

 _Rose's anger level wasn't lowering. She wasn't angry at Amelia. She didn't think she could be angry with Amelia about this. She had been about to leave on a jump when the school had phoned. Amelia was in trouble, there's been another incident, and could she come up now? She had hastily changed clothes and ran out of the house. She'd had a new lead on a possible crack and was desperate to check it out._

 _She'd been in this universe for five months now. She had been making jumps whenever Amelia was in school to try to find another crack. She wasn't sure what'd she do when she found one, but she knew she had fallen through one. Maybe she could fall back through? She hadn't gotten that far yet. She just knew she had to find another crack. She hadn't thought about what would happen to Amelia if she did get back to her universe. She didn't want to._

 _She hadn't intended on it, but she had grown attached to Amelia. She was inquisitive and kind and had an attitude that could rival Rose's. Little by little, Rose and Amelia had fallen into a comfortable routine with each other. As much as it scared her to admit it, she was starting to enjoy it. Cooking dinners and watching movies and reading stories. She was taking to this parenting thing. She would miss it when she went back to John. Maybe when she got back, they could talk about kids. He'd been a parent before- sort of. As she always did whenever she thought of him randomly, her mind instinctively reached out to graze his, to find only emptiness. It was still shocking enough, even now, to momentarily take her breath away._

 _When they reached the counselor's door, the principal started to knock, but Rose pushed it open without waiting._

 _Amelia turned around in her chair and grinned up at Rose. Rose shot her a quick wink and stepped in, arms crossed, glaring at the counselor._

" _Why did she bite you?" she asked. No introduction. No pleasantries. She was sick of Amelia putting up with inconsiderate adults. This school was full of them._

" _You must be Miss. Tyler. Your reputation precedes you. My name is-"_

" _Why did she bite you?"_

 _The counselor cleared his throat and straightened his tie._

" _Amelia and I were having a conversation about her imaginary friend and-"_

" _He's not imaginary. The Raggedy Doctor is real! Rose told me so!" Amelia frowned deeply at him and Rose tried not to smile._

" _Well, as you can see Miss. Tyler, she is completely fixated on this figment. It's getting in the way of her schooling. She is being disruptive. This situation should really be brought under control."_

" _Situation? She's a little girl. She can believe whatever she wants."_

" _Miss. Tyler, I really must insist-"_

" _No you mustn't," Rose interrupted and held her hand out to Amelia. Amelia stuck her tongue out at the counselor and hopped out of her chair to take Rose's hand. "What you must do is allow a seven year old to have her imagination. I will not control her imagination at home, and as her guardian, I would request that you don't attempt to here either."_

 _Rose turned away before he could answer to look at the principal. "I'm taking Amelia home for the day. I hope that won't be a problem?"_

 _Mrs. Roe nodded hastily and Rose swept Amelia out of the office._

* * *

 _Rose watched Amelia happily chomp on her ice cream cone in the square and looked down at hers, giving it a quick lick to stop it from dripping onto her fingers. She looked up in time to see Amelia wipe her sticky hands on the front of her shirt._

" _Oi! Watch it! You don't have to do the laundry, yeah?" Amelia grinned sheepishly and Rose smiled back._

" _Amelia, you can't keep biting adults when they tell you he's fake." She didn't need to mention who he was. They both knew. Rose still had a hard time saying his name._

" _You're an adult. You don't tell me he's fake," Amelia pointed out and Rose sighed._

" _Well, I would if I thought it'd get you to stop biting people!"_

 _Amelia looked at her, visibly upset and Rose immediately felt guilty._

" _I didn't mean it like that. I'm not saying he's fake. I'm just saying you shouldn't bite people who say he is," she said gently and Amelia took a lick of her cone, watching Rose through narrowed eyes._

" _Watch it, Rose. I can bite you too, you know!" she threatened and chomped her teeth loudly for the effect. Her mouth was covered in ice cream, completely ruining any menacing effect. Rose laughed and pushed back from the patio table they'd been occupying and grabbed her bag from around the back of the chair. Amelia went to take her hand, as had become their habit, but Rose pulled hers back quickly in mock horror._

" _No, thank you! You are covered in ice cream! I don't want to get sticky!"_

" _Gimme!" Amelia cried and proceeded to try to grab her hand as Rose held it up as high as she could. Sensing failure, Amelia started rubbing Rose's cheeks with sticky fingers, cackling. Rose squealed and the two dissolved into a hug, laughing. Rose kissed the top of her head and took her hand to take her home._

" _You've really got to stop biting people though," she said, and Amelia just grinned at her and continued eating her ice cream as they started the walk home._

* * *

" _Ok, I think it's time for bed, yeah?"_

 _Rose nudged Amelia slightly, her warm body curled up next to hers on the couch downstairs. They had been watching a movie, but Amelia was almost asleep, and it was only halfway finished. She'd sent Mels and Rory home a few hours before, after they had stayed for dinner, so that Amelia and she could have some quiet wind down time before bed. Amelia never could just go to sleep. She would bounce around too much. Rose always needed a few hours of the two alone before sending her to bed. Only way to settle her down._

 _Tonight though, it had worked better than usual. It must have been all the turmoil of dealing with the counselor earlier today, but Amelia had quieted down quickly and now she was almost asleep halfway through the film. Amelia yawned widely and stretched herself out over Rose's legs, blinking up at her._

" _Carry me!" she whined. Rose shook her head and grinned._

" _Absolutely not. You are too big for that!" Amelia pouted._

" _Please?" Rose rolled her eyes._

" _Fine. Just this once," she replied and gathered a sleepy Amelia up in her arms. Amelia twined her arms around her neck and wrapped her legs around her torso, sighing happily into Rose's shoulder. When Rose stood up with her, she was surprised by how light she was to her. Either seven year olds weren't as heavy as she'd thought, or she was stronger than she thought. Either way, she carried Amelia easily up the stairs to her room and laid her down on her little twin bed. She was already asleep again, having succumbed again in Rose's arms. She gently pulled off her shoes and socks and tucked her legs up under the blankets. Smiling down at her, Rose placed a quick kiss on her forehead, and exited the room, turning off the lights and closing the door behind her._

 _She entered her own room and shut the door. She had started to make herself at home in this room, despite the obvious previous ownership. She had boxed up all of the things that felt too personal to keep and put them in a spare room down the hall. Throwing them out felt…wrong. She kicked off her shoes, and shimmied out of her jeans and padded to the bed. She sat down and carefully began to remove her pieces of armor she wore. She shrugged out of the jumper she'd been wearing, tossing it on the chair in the corner. She pulled off her vortex manipulator and sat it on the bedside table, the face of it leaning towards the bed so she could watch it during the night. She only removed it during sleep these days. She'd never forgive herself if it activated with a message and she hadn't been wearing it. Or worse, if it suddenly malfunctioned and took itself back home. She'd never be able to live with that._

 _She removed her stud earrings and placed them carefully next to the manipulator. She'd borrowed them from her mum a few weeks before she'd been trapped here. Gently, she slid off the long chain holding the TARDIS vial from her neck and sat it next to the earrings. Each piece of armor removed stripped her down a little barer emotionally. She wore these like talismans to keep herself from cracking apart. At night, once Amelia was asleep and the world was dark, she allowed herself to remove them one by one, and feel the deep ache inside. Her pain was a luxury that she couldn't afford at any other time but these quiet moments when the world stopped._

 _She stood to pull the covers down and crawled under them in her knickers and tank top. She turned on her side, staring at the manipulator's face. She gently reached out and ran her thumb across the screen._

" _Take me back," she whispered, and felt herself slip into a dreamless sleep._

* * *

"You said this was a time machine, not a spaceship!"

Amy was walking around the console still, fiddling with the levers and poking the buttons. The Doctor was following after her, with a frantic look on his face, hands flapping everywhere, trying to keep her from wrecking the TARDIS. Again. She'd only just rebuilt herself.

"Can you- can you please- don't touch- that is important! Don't touch that!"

Rose chuckled softly as Amy ignored him and kept messing with everything. The Doctor would stop her if she was touching something truly dangerous. She hoped. Rose was sitting on the stairs, watching the two of them, a soft smile on her face. The TARDIS hadn't landed yet, or the Doctor hadn't entered in any coordinates yet. One of the two. He was letting Amy get used to the TARDIS a bit before he took them somewhere. More courtesy than she'd gotten. He'd hauled her off to the end of the Earth immediately, before she'd completely believed him. Maybe he'd learned since then. Maybe other companions had helped him in ways she couldn't.

She pushed that thought away and stood up and started up the stairs she had been sitting on into the depth of the TARDIS. She hadn't eaten anything since breakfast with Amy hours ago. She was starving. She entered a hallways with no doors and started down it, knowing that TARDIS would take her where she needed to go. She wandered aimlessly, turning indiscriminately until she spotted an entryway on her left. She poked her head around the corner and grinned. Kitchen.

The kitchen looked different than it had from her time on the TARDIS. Everything must have changed when the TARDIS changed interfaces. The cabinets were a warm oak colored wood grain with mismatched knobs and pulls on every door. The solid countertops were an iridescent blue and purple color that reminded Rose of nebulas. A deep farm sink sat below a porthole that currently showed deep space. They must have stopped.

The walls were still the same yellow gold color of the console room and the floors were still clear. The kitchen was an L shape to accommodate a large diner style corner booth with shiny red vinyl seats and metal rimmed plastic table. Old and new, all at the same time. Rose opened some drawers and cabinets until she found what she guessed was the pantry. She put a muffin in her mouth and pulled out a random assortment of fruit. A banana, a blue orange looking fruit, and a spiky green fruit she recognized as something she had enjoyed all those years ago. She set the fruit down in a bowl she found and put it on the diner style table and rummaged for a tea kettle. After setting the tea kettle to boil, she allowed herself to bite into the muffin, still in her mouth, and sat on the booth edge quietly.

Solitude felt nice after the chaos of today. For Amy it may have been two years, but it had been only a few hours for Rose and she was emotionally drained. She didn't know how to feel anymore. She hadn't given herself time to process what she was feeling.

On one hand, she was on the TARDIS again. Her mind wasn't silent anymore and he had come back for Amy. A promise kept. And Amy wasn't taken from her, which she supposed was also good, but she was still nervous. The TARDIS was one thing. Her driver was another. Seeing him again had stirred up so many feelings she had thought died inside her a long time ago.

She had learned to live with the pain over the years. Twelve years without John. Seventeen without him. She'd learned to live with the dull ache in her chest. She didn't even know that it was an ache still, that's just how living felt. But when she knew it was him this morning, she could feel the ache increase and start to throb painfully again. A reopening of the wound. Reminding her of its existence. Like an old scar that aches during a storm.

And what a storm he'd become. She could still see the him she'd fallen in love with in there. Those eyes still held all the same pain and age and memories. The same Storm. It still held all the love for her. She could see it all in his eyes so plainly still. He wore his feelings on his sleeve with this face. More so than he had in his previous two bodies. He was less of a mystery, but more of a stranger.

The kettle started to whistle. She got up and started to search for a mug. She opened a cabinet door at random and froze. At the front, on the closest shelf was an oversized pink mug with a little crack in the handle. Worn with washing and reusing. The painted yellow daisy on the face was chipping away. Her breath caught. She pulled it out slowly and stared at it in her hands.

Her mug. This was her mug. She'd brought it onto the TARDIS after her first stop back home with him. When he'd dropped her off a year late. Back when he was leather and jumpers and sarcasm. She had snuck it on the TARDIS, terrified he'd think she was homesick and leave her there. He'd found out a few days later when she'd wandered into the library with it full of tea and found him there reading. He'd been amused, but not concerned at all and told her it could be her TARDIS mug. She had left it here with all the rest of her things when she'd been trapped in the alternate universe alone the first time. Retrieving her lost items had been the last thing on her mind when he'd left her on that beach with John the second time. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she'd decided he must have thrown everything of hers out at some point. After all, it had been so long for her. But here it was. She set it gently on the counter, and fixed her tea in it reverently. She slid her hands around it and smiled at the way her hands still curved around it in the same way.

Now her curiosity was peaked. What else of hers had he kept? Everything? She grabbed a banana for the road and headed out into the hallway again. The TARDIS seemed to know what she needed to know and after only one corner, she found herself in a hallway with several doors. She was in the process of trying to decide which one to enter first when the door on her left opened slightly. The TARDIS had decided apparently. She grinned, took a sip from her mug, and pushed the door open more.

It was her room. And it still looked the exact same. A plushy white carpet covered the expansive floor. Her giant four poster was in the center of the room and her pale pink comforter was still on top, mussed and pushed to the side as though she'd just crawled out of it all those years ago. Her vanity was still littered with half empty makeup bottles and perfume sprays. She grinned ruefully. She'd always tried to look her best in front of him. As though just the right eye shadow would turn the eye of a timeless alien from another planet.

She walked slowly to her bed and sat down gently, surveying the room. The feeling of déjà vu was overpowering and she paused to close her eyes and take a deep breath to settle her mind. The air was slightly musty with vanilla and honey dominating, but there was something else. Something masculine. She frowned, eyes closed, and breathed in again. It was still there. A hint of something masculine.

She opened her eyes and sat her mug down on the table next to her bed and sniffed again. It was coming from her bed. She laid down fully on the bed and rolled over on her side. Her body fell into the familiar divot that formed from her sleeping in this bed continually for years. She closed her eyes and breathed in again.

It was coming from the pillow next to her. She hugged it to her face and took a deep breath in, eyes closed. His face swam to the front of her mind. His old face. John's face. She knew that smell. How could she forget that smell? Musky and warm, like cinnamon. John always smelled like that too. Her eyes snapped open and she pushed the pillow away from herself and sat up abruptly. He had come in here. Since she left. He had been in this room. She had no memories of him in this room ever before, but she could smell him here, on the side of her bed that she didn't sleep on. On the pillow.

Did he come in here after she had been trapped over there? While he was alone? Was he really that alone? The old wound opened a bit more and she grasped her chest at the sudden shock of pain, pressing the TARDIS vial into her chest. She stood up, grabbing her mug and headed out of the room. She'd deal with that later. She was looking for emotional rest, not emotional turmoil. _Look at where you are, Tyler. You're not going to find that here_ , she thought to herself quietly and frowned slightly. The door across the hall opened as she pulled the door to her room shut. She snuck a look at the ceiling and rolled her eyes.

"Seriously? It's like a breadcrumb trail of memories," she muttered and the TARDIS washed her consciousness with warmth and comfort. She closed her eyes and absorbed the strength she needed from her, and went into the next door.

She'd never been in this room before. Warm wood floors were covered by large mismatched rugs and the random pieces of furniture seemed scattered around the place. An oversized desk, a child's set of drawers, a baby grand piano. This room had a large four poster as well, but the blankets covering it were a random assortment of colors and textures. The entire room brought to mind the word haphazard. She took another step inside and took a sip of tea, looking around. There were a smattering of books on every surface, as well as random odds and ends: some she recognized and others she was sure didn't come from Earth. When she reached the center of the room, the ceiling dimmed the lights and started projecting a realistic and breathtaking light display of the universe, rotating slowly above the bed. She gasped at the beauty of it and sat on the edge of the bed, sipping her tea and allowing herself to get lost in the immensity of it all. She sat there for several moments, letting it all soak in.

Finally, she had found a place on the TARDIS that she felt comfortable enough to let her barriers down. She leaned against one of the bed posts and let her body relax and her mind wander. She didn't ask herself what this room was. She didn't want to. A small part of her already knew. But she would never admit it to herself. It smelled musky and warm, like cinnamon.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Rose cried when she reached the console room again. The doors were open and the Doctor was at them, holding onto the ankle of who she could only assume was Amy Pond. He shot Rose a grin and pulled Amy back down into the TARDIS.

"Amy didn't believe me that it was a spaceship! Now do you believe me?" he asked Amy smugly, and grinned at her breathless face.

"Ok, your box is a spaceship. It's really, really a spaceship. We are in space!"

"What are we breathing?" Rose asked pointedly, moving down to the console level.

"I've extended the air shell. We're fine." He waved his hand at Rose's concerns and pointed at the ship that was floating below them. "Now that's interesting! Twenty ninth century: solar flares roast the Earth, and the entire human race packs it's bags and moves out till the weather improves. Whole nations!"

"Doctor?" Amy asked.

He ignored her and ran back over to Rose, who was leaning against the consoles with her arms crossed, and she shook her head at him, smirking.

"I was there. I remember. Bit traumatic, that," she shot at him and he ignored her.

"Migrating to the stars!" he exclaimed, typing on the console's typewriter enthusiastically.

"Doctor?" Amy repeated and Rose noticed Amy wasn't at the door. She rushed over to the TARDIS doors, flung them open, and gasped. Amy was holding onto the top of the TARDIS, terrified. Rose tried to reach her hand, but found she lacked the height after a few desperate jumps. The Doctor hadn't noticed the commotion yet.

"Isn't that amazing?" he continued and Rose, who had given up attempting to reach Amy's hand, answered him.

"Doctor!"

He looked up to see Rose at the open door, hand on her hips, glaring at him. She crooked her finger at him and as he approached, he noticed Amy dangling out the top of the door frame. Rose glared at him, but he simply grinned at the both.

"Well, come on. I've found us a space ship!" He reached up and pulled Amy back in the TARDIS, into Rose's outstretched arms and turned on the porthole screen to their left. A closer shot of the ship below them appeared, slowly drifting. It was a great hulking thing, with what appeared to be a city strapped on the top, all greys and metals and skyscrapers. Amy and Rose stared at it, mesmerized.

"This is the United Kingdom of Britain and Northern Ireland. All of it, bolted together and floating in the sky. Starship UK. It's Britain, but metal. That's not just a ship. That's an idea."

He instinctively reached down and grasped Rose's hand, his voice growing soft and his face more pensive. She watched his face as he spoke, silently observing. His new face was very expressive.

"That's a whole country, living and laughing, and shopping. Searching the stars for a new home."

Amy glanced over at him, grinning and saw on his face his quiet sadness. He held Rose's hand, staring at the screen, but Rose was watching him. Amy noticed the way she searched his face for clues to what he was thinking. Amy wondered if this was hard for her. To travel with him again. Amy cleared her throat and the Doctor tore his gaze from the porthole to grin at her over Rose's head.

"Can we go out and see?" Amy asked, and watched the sadness dissipate as quickly as it had come from his eyes.

"Course we can. But first there's a thing."

He let go of Rose's hand and moved back over to the console. Amy frowned at that and Rose rolled her eyes at him.

"A thing?"

"There's always a thing with him," Rose quipped. The Doctor ignored her.

"An important thing. In fact, Thing One. We are observers only."

"Ha!" Rose barked and slapped her hand over her mouth quickly when Amy and the Doctor looked over at her in question. She smothered her bubbling laughter and attempted to compose her face into something serious. She bit her lip, to keep it from tugging upwards and felt her eyes almost water from the effort to control herself.

"Sorry. I'm sorry. Continue."

The Doctor, who looked righteously scorned, straightened his bowtie and nodded at her quickly before continuing. Amy grinned at Rose's condition and turned back to him.

"That's the one rule I've stuck to in all my travels. I never get involved in the affairs of others peoples or planets."

Rose lost her capacity for self-control at that. She doubled over in sudden laughter, hands on her knees to keep from falling down at the hilarity of it. Amy giggled at the sight of Rose laughing so hard and the Doctor looked between the two of them, his face a look of pleading.

"Oh, come on Rose. I'm trying to be serious here!" he whined. Rose looked up at his puppy face and dissolved into fresh laughter. She fell backward into the jump seat, tears streaming down her face.

"That's what's so funny!" she wheezed out, clutching her stomach, which was starting to cramp from laughing so hard. Amy's giggling started to increase at Rose's condition. The Doctor huffed at both of them and turned to the monitor.

"Oh, that's interesting," he mentioned, hoping to capture their attention. They kept laughing.

"Oh, that's interesting!" he repeated, louder and Rose made an effort to quell her laugher. She grabbed Amy's hand and pulled herself up, wiping some tears from her eyes.

"Sorry. What's interesting?" Rose attempted, biting her lip hard to stop from giggling.

"Oh no. Please. Continue with your mirth. I can wait." He crossed his arms and looked down his nose at her. Rose grinned at him, tongue in teeth, and he melted a bit, arms uncrossing. She always had that effect on him.

"You were saying about observers only?" Rose asked, scrunching her nose to keep the laugher from starting again. Amy went over to the monitor to look at what the Doctor had called interesting. His eyes were still locked on Rose's.

"So we're like a wildlife documentary, yeah? Because if they see a wounded little cub or something, they can't just save it, they've got to keep filming and let it die…" Amy started, her face growing sad. The monitor showed a little girl in a red sweater, crying quietly, her face terrified. Amy's favorite sweater had been red at that age…

Behind her, the Doctor leaned forward and offered his hand to Rose, mock-gentlemanly. She rolled her eyes and took it. As soon as he gripped her hand, he tried to pull her out of the TARDIS, but Rose held back. She could hear the tone of Amy's voice. She nodded to him once to continue, and he stepped out while Rose leaned against the door, watching Amy.

"It's got to be hard. I don't think I could do that. Don't you find that hard, being all, like detached, and cold?"

This would be difficult for Amy at first. Their way of life. _His way of life_ , she corrected herself sternly. Rose knew she would grow into it like she did, but there would be those first few hiccups of morality that would scare her and push her past her limits. Rose had had more than a few of her own. But she was here for Amy this time. She wasn't just alone with the Doctor like Rose had been. Not that she had minded, now that she thought about it.

"Doctor?" Amy pulled back from the screen, her face confused and a little shocked. The Doctor was next to the little girl, trying to talk to her. She ran away immediately, but when Amy said his name, he looked up that the screen and beckoned to her. Amy looked towards the door, where Rose was leaning, and they both grinned at each other.

"After you." Rose pulled open the TARDIS door.

* * *

Amy braced her hands against the door, staring out into the market –ship market? -her mouth agape with awe. Rose was watching her face, smiling. Your first stop with the Doctor. The mother side of her insisted she snap a picture. And possibly make a scrapbook. Amy's Time with the Doctor, she'd call it. Put it on the shelf next to her high school diploma. The Doctor was leaning against a pole, his eyes flitting between the two.

"I'm in the future. Like hundreds of years in the future."

The look of awe on Amy's face was quickly squashed by a confused look with just a dash of fear.

"I've been dead for centuries!"

"Oh, lovely. You're a cheery one," the Doctor started, and took a few steps closer to her, his eyes narrowed, studying her intently. He was going to be sure to be on hand should she begin to panic. Like Rose had.

"She always has been," Rose quipped and they exchanged looks.

"Never mind dead, look at this place! Isn't it wrong?" He grabbed Amy's arm and started steering her further into the center of the market. Distraction would be key here. Rose followed along a few steps behind, eyes flitting here and there. The Doctor was right. This place felt wrong, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"What's wrong?" Amy asked.

"Come on, use your eyes. Notice everything. What's wrong with this picture?" he coached and Amy started trying to guess. Rose was still observing silently.

"Is it...the bicycles? Bit unusual on a spaceship, bicycles."

"Says the girl in the nightie."

"Oh my god." Amy froze and spun to look at Rose. She was still dressed in her black utilitarian uniform, small back pack still in place, shoes equipped for running, and undoubtedly armed.

"I'm in my nightie! And you're dressed for mission impossible! How is that fair?" Amy pouted and Rose stuck her tongue out at her, grinning.

"Rose is quite the girl scout. Now, come on, look around you! Actually look." He instructed, stern finger wagging in contrast to his twinkling green eyes. "Life on a giant starship. Back to basics. Bicycles. Washing lines. Wind-up streetlamps. But look closer. Secrets, shadows, lives led in fear. Society bent out of shape, on the brink of collapse."

"A police state," Rose breathed, suddenly putting a name to that wrong feeling. The Doctor snapped and pointed his finger back at her, not bothering to stop observing the area.

"Exactly, Rose. Excuse me."

He suddenly darted over to a couple at a café table and took the man's glass of water from him.

"What are you doing?" the man asked, affronted. The Doctor studied the water and carefully sat it down on the ground. After a few silent moments of staring, the Doctor gently replaced the glass on that table.

"Sorry. Checking all the water in this area. There's an escaped fish. Where was I?" He turned on his heel abruptly and started back towards Rose and Amy.

"Police state," Rose answered.

"Why did you just do that with the water?" Amy asked.

"Don't know. I think a lot. It's hard to keep track. Now, police state. Do you see it yet?"

"Where?" Amy started looking around, but Rose's eyes were trained straight ahead through the gap between Amy and the Doctor's bodies. The crying little girl. She tugged at her heart the same way little Amelia had all those years ago. She could tell the Doctor had noticed her too. He always had a soft spot for crying children.

"There," the Doctor answered, and pointed straight at the crying girl. Rose pushed between the two of them headed for the little girl, the Doctor following right behind her. Amy watched them for a moment, watched the moment the Doctor reached out and took Rose's hand, watched Rose's lack of resistance in taking it back. He stopped her a few yards from the girl and pulled her over to a bench parallel with hers to watch. Amy took a few steps towards them observing. Rose hadn't looked away from the crying girl, but the Doctor was watching her face.

Amy knew Rose had traveled with him. Years and years ago. She knew he had hurt her in some way. Rose didn't like to talk specifics of it. But as she watched the Doctor, watching Rose, she could see that he was hurt too. She could see the pain and regret and longing when he looked at her. And Rose couldn't see any of it.

Amy took a seat on the other side of Rose and tucked her legs up under herself. Rose reached out and took Amy's hand tightly, still watching the girl. Amy smiled at the gesture and sat with them in silence. The Doctor broke his gaze from Rose and leaned forward, his hands folded under his chin, elbows resting on his knees, watching the little girl.

After too many moments of silence, Amy couldn't take it anymore. She had never been very patient.

"I don't know how she is evidence of a police state. One little girl crying. So?"

"Crying silently," Rose whispered.

"Rose is right. I mean, children cry because they want attention, because they're hurt or afraid. But when they cry silently, it's because they just can't stop. Any parent knows that," he added not thinking about it. Amy's eyes lit up at his statement and she leaned forward to look at him around Rose.

"Are you a parent?"

He could hear Rose's quiet intake of breath and she looked up at him, her expression unreadable. He glanced at Amy's face, and then down at Rose. His mind screamed at him not to continue. This was dangerous territory. His defense mechanisms kicked in. He tore his gaze from hers and looked around.

"Hundreds of parents walking past who spot her and not one of them's asking her what's wrong. Which means they already know, and it's something they don't talk about. Secrets. They're not helping her, so it's something they're afraid of. Shadows. Whatever they're afraid of, it's nowhere to be seen. Which means it's everywhere."

"Police state."

The Doctor grinned down at Rose. She always was a quick one. They all missed the little girl fleeing quickly. Amy looked up for her, confused.

"Where'd she go?" The Doctor pulled a colorful child's wallet out of his jacket and held it up proudly.

"Deck 207. Apple Sesame Block, dwelling 54A. You're looking for Mandy Tanner." Rose quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Oh, err, this fell out of her pocket when I accidently bumped into her," he offered, causing Rose to raise the other eyebrow.

"How many times?" she asked and he had the decency to look sheepish.

"Four." He tossed Amy the wallet over Rose's head and decided to ignore Rose's eye roll. "Ask her about those things. The smiling fellows in the booths. They're everywhere."

Amy looked unconcerned. "But they're just things."

"Amy Pond, nothing is just a thing," Rose replied sternly and the Doctor grinned at her before mimicking her stern voice.

"They're clean. Everything else here is all battered and filthy. Look at this place. But no one's laid a finger on those booths. Not a footprint within two feet of them. Look. Ask Mandy, why are people scared of the things in the booths?

"No, hang on. What do I do? I don't know what I'm doing here and I'm not even dressed!"

"It's this or Leadworth. What do you think?" he nudged Rose's shoulder, studying Amy's face. "What will Amy Pond choose?"

Rose scrunched her nose and shook her head slightly for Amy's benefit and the corners of Amy's mouth tugged upward. Of course she'd stay here. Her curiosity was peaked and she wasn't going to allow him to take her back. She suspected that it was a hollow threat, but she wasn't willing to risk it. The Doctor noted her face and laughed smugly.

"Ha! Gotcha! Meet us back here in half an hour," he finished and grabbed Rose's hand, tugging her off the bench with him.

"Us?" Rose questioned, but he ignored her. Amy took it in stride.

"What are you two going to do?"

"What we always do. Stay out of trouble." Rose snorted at him.

"Badly."

"So is this how it works Doctor? You never interfere in the affairs of other peoples or planets- unless there's children crying?"

"Yes," he answered simply, and pulled a hesitant Rose out of sight.

* * *

Amy was lost. Well and truly lost. She had tried to follow the signs and markers, but she had taken a wrong turn –somewhere- and now she had no idea where she was. She looked back down at the information on the wallet and back up at the alleyway she was standing in. No clue. She turned left at random and started down the walkway.

"You're following me," a voice behind her said. Amy started slightly and turned. The little girl from the market- Mandy her brain reminded her. No longer crying, she stood in front of her, her arms crossed, scowling. "Saw you watching me at the marketplace."

"You dropped this," Amy improvised and handed her back her wallet. Mandy took it and rolled her eyes. Adults.

"Yeah, when your friend kept bumping into me!" She sounded exasperated and stuffed it into her sweater, turning to start down the alleyway away from her. Amy followed, amused at this girl's reaction. Feisty. Like she was. Always nice to meet a kindred spirit. Abruptly, Mandy stopped. In front of her was a cordoned off section of road, hidden behind a gate and tent, plastered with keep out signs.

"What's that?"

"There's a hole. We have to go back." Amy noted the nervousness creep into Mandy's voice. She'd sounded so confident a few moments before.

"A what? A hole?"

"Are you stupid? There's a hole in the road. We can't go that way. There's a travel pipe down by the airlocks, if you've got stamps." Mandy stopped talking and her eyes widened as this strange woman pushed through the gate and approached the tent. You don't mess with the holes or construction. It was understood. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, don't mind me. Never could resist a keep out sign." She grinned back at Mandy and turned back to the tent. "What's through there? What's so scary about a hole? Something under the road?"

She got to her knees in front of the tent to find an opening or zipper. Instead she found a padlock. She frowned at it, turning it over a few times in her hands.

"Nobody knows. We're not supposed to talk about it." The nervousness in Mandy's voice was growing.

"About what?"

"Below," Mandy answered quietly. Amy pouted at her.

"And because you're not supposed to, you don't? Watch and learn." She grinned and produced a hairpin from inside her robes. Rose had taught her this trick when she locked herself out of her bedroom after school one day. She'd found her, sat up against the door, glaring at the wall, angry with herself. Rose had simply pulled a pin out of her hair, not caring that half of it fell, and coached her through her first lock pick. Amy didn't ask how Rose knew these things. Rose was still a secret agent to her at that age. Obviously.

Mandy shifted her weight from foot to foot and nervously glanced at the booth. Still smiling. That couldn't be too bad then. Maybe the fact that this woman was a stranger gave her some leeway? She obviously wasn't from the ship.

"You're Scottish."

"I am Scottish. What's wrong with that? Scotland's got to be here somewhere."

"No. They wanted their own ship." Amy hummed pleasantly in her throat.

"Good for them. Nothing changes." Neither of them notice the head on the man in the booth rotated from smiling to frowning.

"So how did you get here?"

"Oh just passing through, you know, with my aunt and a guy."

"Your boyfriend?"

"Oh." Amy paused, shaken by her question.

"What?"

"Nothing, it's just…" She turned to look at Mandy. She didn't even understand herself completely what she was feeling. This girl certainly wouldn't. "I'm getting married. Funny how things slip your mind."

Mandy stared at her incredulously. "Married?" she echoed. Amy could feel panic bubbling inside her. She hadn't let herself think about this since she'd set foot in the TARDIS. She'd been distracting herself, but in the quiet in between moments, she could feel the nagging feeling in the back of her mind that she'd forgotten something.

"Yeah, shut up, married. Really, actually married. Almost definitely."

"When?" Amy gulped down her panic.

"Well, it's kind of weird. A long time ago tomorrow morning. I wonder what I did?" she trailed off. Mandy frowned.

"Is he her boyfriend?"

"Who?"

"The guy. Is he your aunt's boyfriend?"

Amy stopped picking the lock and sat back on her knees. That was the million dollar question wasn't it? Amy had picked up on his feelings for her earlier. She could see it. The way he instinctively reached for Rose's hand when something important happened. The way he looked at her when he thought no one could see. But Rose.

Her entire life, Rose had skirted the issue of her and the Doctor. She didn't even like to say his name. There was deep pain there for her. There still was, if Rose's reaction to the TARDIS was anything to go on. But she still took his hand when he offered. She still followed when he asked. Amy wasn't sure what that meant, but it wasn't nothing.

"I don't know. Maybe?" Amy replied thoughtfully, and went back to the lock. Almost there.

"Maybe? How can he maybe be your aunt's boyfriend?" The lock sprang open in Amy's hand and she beamed at her success, ignoring Mandy's query.

"Hey, hey! Result! Coming?" Mandy's face looked terrified.

"No!" Amy shrugged and started to pull the tent flaps aside.

"Suit yourself." The man's face in the booth was rotating again, from a frown, to a terrifying scowl, complete with red eyes and carnivorous teeth. Mandy's eyes widened in fear.

"Stop! You mustn't do that!" she pleaded with the strange woman, but Amy wasn't listening. She had crawled into the tent. It was very dark, illuminated only by a pulsing red siren light. She could sense something in front of her, just out of reach, and she could hear a rustling sound, but she couldn't see anything. Fumbling around, her hands landed on a flashlight bulb and she pulled it to her, running her fingers down the edges, searching for a button. When she found a crank on the side, she turned it and squinted at the sudden light in the darkness. She blinked a few times to adjust her eyes to the light, but when her eyes fell on what was in front of her, she simply stared.

It was a tentacle. She thought. Growing out from the ground. It had broken through the concrete layer and was gently swaying back and forth. It was gently pulsing, like one would expect of something living.

"Oh my god. That's weird. That's…" She didn't have time to consider what it was actually, because suddenly the tentacle flared to life, sensing her presence. It swooped down at her, and she pushed herself out of the way with a shriek, noticing for the first time the stinger attached at the end. It tried for her again, and she propelled herself backward, out of the tent, eyes trained on the tentacle. She barely had time to register that she was surrounded by four men in matching long black cloaks before one of them raised his hand to her and doused her face with a gas. Her last thought was of how odd it was to have a ring that sprayed gas.

* * *

The Doctor reached the bottom of the ladder to the engine room and paused. Rose was still above him, making her way down. Instinctively, he reached up and pulled her the rest of the way down by her ribcage. She made a soft noise of surprise, but allowed him to help her. Her skin burned on her ribs where he had gripped her. When her feet touched the ground he let go of her sides, but didn't back away and she turned to look up at him. He grinned down at her, their body's inches from touching. Rose shied away from his closeness, and pressed herself into the ladder rungs behind her.

"Thanks," she said softly, almost holding her breath. He shouldn't be this close to her. She could feel the heat radiating off his body. He took a small step backward to give her more space and glanced around the room.

"Don't mention it." She straightened off of the ladder once he was a safer distance away and watched him as he started to bounce around the room, touching everything. She pulled her sonic from her pocket for good measure. She might need it soon, if his action were any indication. He placed his ear on the wall, silently, and smiled to himself.

"Doctor, what exactly are we looking for?" He ignored her and pulled out his own sonic, scanning the wall.

"Can't be…" he murmured to himself. Rose turned at the sound of rustling and narrowed her eyes. Holding out her sonic in the direction of the noise, she started down the corridor. A glass of water sat on the ground in the center. What was that doing here? Rose frowned and knelt down to study it. She scanned it quickly and looked at the results. Just a plain glass of water. But that didn't make sense.

"Doctor? Look at this."

He followed over to Rose's crouched form and narrowed his eyes at the glass. Abruptly, he laid down on the ground, stomach flat against the floor, and stared at the water. Then she heard it again. That rustling noise. She stood slowly, holding out her sonic, debating whether she should reach for her stunner. She'd brought it just in case.

Someone was there in the shadows. The Doctor was fixated on the water, but she could tell. Someone was there, watching. And she was watching them.

"I know you're there," Rose called out and the Doctor looked up at her. Silence followed her statement, but the figure in the shadows hadn't moved. "Why are you watching us?"

"The impossible truth in a glass of water. Most people don't see it. But you do, don't you, Doctor?"

The figure took shape out of the shadow and Rose instinctively took a step back. The figure was that of a woman, covered in a thick red cape, the hood of it covering her hair. Her face was obscured by a porcelain white mask, contoured to her face perfectly. The Doctor didn't seem threatened by her, just curiously wary.

"You know me?" he asked, and took a step towards the woman. Rose stayed where she was, sonic pointed at the woman. Her training instincts were kicking in. Ever since they'd set foot on this ship, the whole place felt wrong.

"Keep your voice down. They're everywhere. Tell me what you see in the glass."

"Who says I see anything?" The Doctor leaned back slightly, putting on an air of nonchalance.

"Don't waste time. At the marketplace, you placed a glass of water on the floor, looked at it, then came straight here to the engine room. Why?"

The Doctor studied her face for a moment, deciding what to tell her. The truth seemed simplest.

"No engine vibration on deck. Ship this size, engine this big, you'd feel it. The water would move. So I thought I'd take a look. It doesn't make any sense." He went to the power boxes and started pulling them open, showing Rose and the woman the unattached cords in frustration. "These power couplings, they're not connected. Look. Look, they're dummies, see?" He went to the wall he'd been scanning and pounded on it with his hands a few time. Rose could hear the hollow tinny sound echoing behind it. "And behind this wall, nothing. It's hollow. If I didn't know better, I'd say there was…"

"No engine at all," he and the woman finished together. Rose was looking between the two of them, her sonic still hovering in front of the woman. This didn't make any sense. The Doctor seemed to agree with her sentiment, because he started back towards the woman, his face a mask of angry frustration. He hated not having the answers to everything.

"But it's working. This ship is travelling through space. I saw it." The figure shrugged, her voice light.

"The impossible truth, Doctor. We're travelling among the stars in a spaceship that could never fly."

"How?" the Doctor demanded. His vocal intensity was increasing and Rose took a step towards the woman. He reached out a hand to stop her from getting closer, eyes trained on the woman. The woman looked down at his outstretched hand and up to Rose for the first time. Her face may have been hidden behind her mask, but Rose could see the slight widening of her eyes to indicate surprise.

"Lady Rose…" she whispered to herself, so quietly that they almost missed it. The Doctor narrowed his eyes at the woman. Her knowing him was one thing. Her knowing Rose was quite another. And he found that he didn't like it one bit.

"How? How is any of this possible?" he repeated and the woman's eyes flickered back to him.

"I don't know. There's a darkness at the heart of this nation. It threatens every one of us. Help us, Doctor. You're our only hope."

Behind him, Rose snorted. They both turned to look at her. Maybe they didn't hear it. Rose shook her head and bit her lip.

"Sorry. Only hope. Go on."

"Your friend is safe." Rose started forward at that, eyes widening, gripping her sonic tightly.

"Amy? What's happened to her?" The woman handed her a small tracking device carefully, and Rose took it, scanning it quickly. How did she know about Amy? More to the point where was she?

"This will take you to her. Now go, quickly." The woman turned on her heel and swept her cloak around herself as she left. Rose was busy getting the communicator to work, but the Doctor was still watching the woman's retreating figure.

"Who are you? How do I find you again?" She paused her step long enough to turn to look at him over her shoulder.

"I am Liz Ten, and I will find you."

* * *

Slowly, Amy swam into consciousness. A dull throbbing pulsed in the back of her head. She was laying down- no, sitting, slumped. She experimentally wiggled her fingers and toes and blearily opened her eyes. One blink, two. The face of one of the men inside the booths blurred into her vision.

She started and jerked upright. She was in a small confined room with one of those booths watching her. She jumped out of the chair she'd been sitting in, and gripped the back of it to keep her knees from buckling. She was still woozy.

"Welcome to Voting Cubicle 33C."

Amy flinched at the voice and spun around. In front of the chair was several mismatched and battered computer monitors, stacked on one another atop a table. On the table in front of them, three large buttons glowed, Protest, Forget, and Record. The voice was coming from the monitors.

"Please leave this installation as you would wish to find it. The United Kingdom recognizes the right to know of all it's citizens. A presentation concerning the history of Starship UK will begin shortly. Your identity is being verified on our electoral roll. Name: Amelia Jessica Pond. Age: Thirteen hundred and six."

Amy sat back down in front of the monitors, mesmerized. When they recited her age, she laughed, awed.

"Shut up!" she breathed, astounded.

"Marital status…" Amy sat up a little straighter. "Unknown." She slumped back down and rolled her eyes. Of course she couldn't know anything useful. The future didn't work like that for her apparently. The screens flickered on, and a white haired older man began speaking to her.

"You are here because you want to know the truth about this starship, and I am talking to you because you're entitled to know. When this presentation has finished, you will have a choice. You may either protest or forget. If you choose to protest, understand this: if just one percent of the population of this ship do likewise, the program will be discontinued with consequences for you all. If you choose to accept the situation, and we hope that you will, then press the Forget button. All the information I'm about to give you will be erased from your memory. You will continue to enjoy the safety and amenities of Starship UK, unburdened by the knowledge of what has been done to save you. Here then, is the truth about Starship UK, and the price that has been paid for the safety of the British people. May God have mercy on our souls."

Images on the screen began to filter through, burning themselves into her mind. Pain and unimaginable suffering. War and death. Sorrow. Unrepentant destruction. She wanted to look away but she found she couldn't. She was glued to the images, no matter how scarring. She knew she must bear witness to the atrocities. Tears streamed down her face and she physically ached at the cruelness of it all. She had to end it.

Her hand was on the forget button. It was glowing, and she pulled it back, releasing pressure that she had been putting on it. She had pressed this button then. Why though? She felt disoriented and confused. She put her hands to her face and pulled them back, shocked at the wetness. She swallowed down rising terror and wiped her face as the screen flashed Message Waiting. Play.

She was looking at herself. Her face. Mascara streamed down her cheeks and terrified. In complete despair. Amy watched as she tried to plead with herself.

" _This isn't a trick. This is for real. You've got to find the Doctor and Rose and get them back on the TARDIS. Don't let them investigate. Don't let Rose in this booth. Keep her out of here. Do whatever you have to, just please, please get them off this ship!"_

She could hear banging on the other side of the door starting up. Her voice was starting to replay again in the background.

" _This isn't a trick. This is for real."_

"Amy? Amy, are you there? Amy, say something!" Rose's frantic voice could be heard from the other side of the door with the pounding. Suddenly, the door swung outward and Rose poked her head around, eyes wide, and tried to run into the room.

"No!" Amy cried, throwing up her arms to stop her, and Rose skidded to a halt just shy of the entrance. The Doctor followed behind her, watching Amy's tear-streaked face cautiously. Mandy, who had been sitting on a bench just outside, stood up quickly when the door opened.

" _Do whatever you have to, just please, please get them off this ship!"_

"Doctor, don't let her come in here. Please don't." Her voice was still pleading with her from the monitor and she quickly turned it off. The Doctor placed her hands on Rose's arms and pulled her back from the doorway a little further and walked in himself, slowly approaching Amy as though she were a wounded animal.

"What have you done?"

Amy leaned back against the table, feeling exhausted emotionally, but not sure why.

"I don't know," she whispered and wiped another stray tear from her eye. She wished she knew why it was there.

"Oh Amy…" Rose took an instinctive step towards the door but the Doctor spun and barred the door with his arm, facing her. Rose stared at Amy over his arm. It went against everything in her to not rush to her to comfort her. That had been her job for the past twelve years. She couldn't just ignore that much conditioning. The Doctor looked down at Rose's pained face, his own deathly serious.

"Rose, don't come in this room. Not until I know what's happening. I think she's had her memory wiped." Rose nodded, not taking her eyes off Amy's face. Amy mouthed _sorry_ at her as the Doctor turned and whipped out his sonic. He scanned the display and then jumped up on the chair to scan the lamp shade directly above. He sighed when he read the readings.

"Yeah, your basic memory wipe job. Must have erased about twenty minutes." He jumped back down to glare at Amy, who was trying to play it off. Rose had taken to pacing at the entryway, just on the other side, like a caged big cat. Or wolf.

"But why would I choose to forget?"

"Because everyone does," Mandy spoke up and the three of them stopped in their tracks to look at her. She shrugged at them, looking between their faces. "Everyone chooses the Forget button."

Rose leaned against the door frame, careful to not get too close to the edge as the Doctor approached the door. He leaned down to Mandy's level.

"Did you?" Mandy looked at him like he must be insane. He was really used to that look.

"I'm not eligible to vote yet. I'm twelve. Any time after you're sixteen, you're allowed to see the film and make your choice. And then once every five years."

"And once every five years, everyone chooses to forget what they've learned?" Rose clarified from her position. Mandy nodded. Amy moved over to lean on the doorframe on the side inside of the voting booth and took Rose's hand, careful to keep Rose's hand on her side. The Doctor glanced over at her, and then down to Rose and Amy's joined hands and smiled to himself at it.

"Democracy in action," he quipped, standing quickly. Sentimentality wouldn't do at a time like this. He went back to the table and started pressing the buttons and turning the television knobs, trying to get it to play. Mandy watched him, confused.

"How do you not know this? Are you Scottish too?"

Rose let out a quick bark of laughter and the Doctor looked over at her, laughing quickly at the thought.

"Oh I'm way worse than Scottish!" Amy glared at him and pulled her hand from Rose's grasp to observe what he was doing at the table. Rose ached dully from the separation and subconsciously clenched and unclenched the hand Amy had been holding.

"I can't even see the movie. Won't play for me," the Doctor continued. Amy quirked an eyebrow.

"It played for me."

"The difference being the computer doesn't accept me as human."

"Why not?"

Rose coughed pointedly and Amy looked over at her as the Doctor turned slowly to give her a loaded look over his shoulder. Rose shook her head silently and Amy looked over at the Doctor, still looking at her significantly. Realization started to dawn on her. "You look human…"

"No, you look Time Lord. We came first." He seemed affronted at her for thinking him human.

"So there are other Time Lords, yeah?" Amy asked, eyes glowing. A whole other race of people who looked like humans. Maybe they were all as marvelous as him, with their knowledge and spaceships and eccentricities.

"Oh Amy," Rose whispered behind her and Amy turned to look at her. She shook her head again, but this time it wasn't a confirmation. It was a caution. Don't go down this road, her head shake said. It will be nothing but heart break for us all, her head shake warned. The Doctor looked up and watched Rose shake her head at Amy. Even now, even after all he had put her through, she was still trying to protect him. He straightened and faced Amy, masking his pain behind bravado.

"No. There were, but there aren't. Just me now. Long story. There was a bad day. Bad stuff happened. And you know what? I'd love to forget it all, every last bit of it, but I don't. Not ever."

"Doctor…" Rose murmured and he glanced at her. She had moved off the doorframe, inches from the edge. She had to get him thinking about something else, and she had just the thought. "It would accept me as human."

The Doctor's eyes widened.

"It would, wouldn't it? But then. Rose, I'm not sure if that's safe. It might work though…" he trailed off, beginning to bounce a little on the balls of his feet as he pondered the option. Grateful to have something else to think about. Amy was looking back and forth between the two of them.

"What? What might work?"

"The movie would play for me, Amy," Rose answered and what was going on around her clicked in Amy.

"No. No, you can't. Rose, you can't come in here. It'll make you vote!"

"That's what we need though, isn't it?" the Doctor cut in. "We need a human to vote, so I can see the video. It won't play for me, but it might play for Rose."

"What if she hits forget too?" Amy's voice was starting to pitch upwards, as her panic was returning. She may not remember making that video, but she certainly remembered the terror on her own face on the screen as she pleaded with her to not let Rose into that room.

"She won't. It's Rose. And I'll be in here to make sure she doesn't!" He hummed happily and Rose nodded, her mind made up.

"I'm going to come in now, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"No," Amy begged, but Rose had decided.

"It'll be fine, Amy. Promise." She took a single step into the room, one foot still out of the door. Amy inhaled sharply and bit her tongue to keep from screaming. The irrational terror was reaching a tipping point and every nerve in her screamed that she should put an end to this, right now. The Doctor, who was usually very attentive to danger to Rose, was watching her every movement with anticipation. Now if only the three of them could get locked in here so she could vote….

Rose dragged her other foot over the imaginary line and…nothing happened. She took a few more gingerly steps into the room and shrugged. He let out a sigh of exasperation that this plan hadn't worked. Amy, however, was still burning with nerves. This all felt just wrong.

"Ok, it didn't work. Rose, leave," she breathed quickly, but they were ignoring her. The Doctor turned to the screens, his voice effecting a whiny tone.

"Oh, come on! She's human! Let her vote!"

"Maybe it won't work because you're still in here?" Rose offered and Amy squeaked out a protest behind clamped teeth. None of this felt ok. The Doctor's face, however, had lit up.

"Oh, Rose Tyler, you are brilliant! You're absolutely right! Let me just pop out for a smidge." He took a quick backward step out of the room, one foot on either side of the barrier as Rose had and paused. His eyes went to Rose, his face serious.

"I'll be right here. Don't forget to push protest." She nodded, and pulled her sonic out. He took another step backward, exiting the room entirely.

Nothing happened. The door didn't close. The computers didn't begin scanning to register her. Nothing. Amy let out a breath she'd been holding and slumped against the table again. Rose and the Doctor scowled in unison. He stepped back into the room and he and Rose started scanning the screens again, in unison. If Amy hadn't been so uncomfortable with Rose in the room, she would've found it hilarious. Matching screwdrivers, matching attitudes. After a moment, Rose sat down in the chair in front of the screens and shrugged. It just wasn't going to play.

"I guess it doesn't recognize me as human either," she quipped lightly. The Doctor froze in his step and quirked his head at her, staring intently. Amy just scoffed, ignoring her still trembling insides.

"Well you don't age." They both turned to gape at her, identical expressions of shock on their faces. "What? You don't. Never have." Amy shrugged. She'd accepted that long ago when she was a little girl. She'd never questioned it too far. It was just a part of Rose. Part of who she is. The woman who showed up when he left, and never aged. The Doctor turned back to Rose, studying her.

He had noticed when he saw her again that she looked the same. And not just a little bit. She looked exactly the same as when he had dropped her off on that beach in Norway all those years ago. And for her it had been even longer. She had to be in her forties at least. And yet she still looked not a day over twenty. He hadn't had time to really think about this since picking up Amy. But she really hadn't aged.

Rose didn't like the way he was looking at her. This was too soon. She wasn't ready for this. Not yet. This was all the same day for her still. Only hours since she'd saved the world with him. It hurt to think about her age. Not emotionally, but physically. A golden ache would begin behind her eyes when she thought about her lack of aging too hard, tried to pinpoint when it stopped, or started. Absentmindedly, her hand went to the TARDIS vial hidden under her clothes, and pressed it deep into her chest to steady herself. She didn't notice how it burned hotly into her. The Doctor glanced down at her hand, palm pressed into her chest and looked away.

"Right then." He rubbed his hands together and bounced on his heels gently, contemplating their next move. Regardless of whatever Rose was, the fact still remained that they couldn't get the film to play for them. He pulled Amy over to where Rose was sitting and motioned for Rose to stand next to her. After a few brief adjustments to their positioning, he turned and grinned at them both.

"Hold tight. We're bringing down a government!" He slammed his fist on the protest button. It lit up red and they all turned to stare at the man inside the booth, as his smiling face rotated to reveal the snarling, red eyed scowl. The door behind them slammed shut, locking Mandy out, and the floor started to vibrate. Eyes bright, the Doctor grabbed Rose and Amy's hands and pulled them back to the corner as the floor started to open, revealing straight drop. Rose gripped Amy's hand tight in anticipation and the Doctor grabbed Amy's other hand, smiling widely.

"Say wheee!" Amy just looked at his childish joy at what could possibly be her worst nightmare, felt Rose tighten her grip, and started to scream.

* * *

This chapter gave me a little bit of difficulty in the middle, but I think I'm pleased with how it turned out. I have the second half that I'm working on now!

What do you think? I love hearing from all of you! I'm trying to answer every review I get, but if I haven't or you reviewed as a guest, know that I absolutely love that you took the time to review and thank you so much for it!

For those of you who are wondering or worried about John, I'm going to start including scenes from Rose's life before the Doctor reappeared, like I did at the beginning of this chapter. Not every time, but whenever I feel there is a scene relevant to what's going on in real time, I'll include it. Some will be her and Amelia, like this one, but I may have some scenes of her and John together as well. Hopefully that will help! And as always, thank you so much for reading!


	5. The Beast Below: Part Two

Rose could feel herself falling. She could hear Amy screaming behind her and the Doctor's manic laughter in front. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to keep hold of her sonic, crossing her arms over her chest and gripping her back pack straps for extra security. With a warm whoosh of air, she felt herself exit the tube she'd been rocketing down and flopped onto the ground.

Or was it ground? It was certainly wet, and slimy almost. Warm as well. She sat up and began to feel around her body. Nothing broken. Nothing lost, at least it didn't feel like it. She still had the sonic. Of course it and she were covered in the slimy substance she had landed in. With a screaming crescendo, Amy flew out of the tube as well and Rose quickly rolled out of the way as she landed with a wet thump.

The Doctor reached his hand out to Rose, and pulled her up quickly as Amy grumbled in disgust at her landing. The Doctor smiled widely and started scanning the area with his sonic indiscriminately.

"High speed air cannon! Lousy way to travel!" he quipped cheerfully as Rose hauled a slimy Amy onto her feet. She started checking Amy for damage in the same way she'd checked herself as Amy took stock of their surroundings.

"Where are we?"

"Six hundred feet down, twenty miles laterally, puts us at-"

"The heart of the ship," Rose said in unison with him and scowled at her. She, however, was still checking Amy over and didn't notice. Being upstaged was apparently something he had to get used to from her.

"Yes. I'd say Lancashire. What's this, then? A cave? Can't be a cave. Looks like a cave."

"It's not a cave." Rose tested the floor with her foot, and began scanning it with her screwdriver. She had a sinking suspicion that she knew what this was. She really hoped she was wrong.

"It's a rubbish dump, and it's minging!" Amy complained, and tossed a piece of food refuse at the Doctor. It hit the back of his head, but he didn't seem to notice. Rose pulled back her sonic to check the readings and grimaced. She was right.

"Doctor?" He was on his knees, digging through the mess, holding things up to examine and sniff before tossing them away.

"Yes, but only food refuse. Organic, coming through feeder tubes from all over the ship."

"I think there's a reason for that. Doctor?" Rose tried again. Amy got to her knees next to him and joined in on the digging.

"The floor's all squidgy, like a water bed." Amy scrunched her nose.

"Their feeding something," Rose tried, and some part of him must have heard her, or he was simply answering his running internal monologue when he spoke again.

"But feeding what though?"

"It's sort of rubbery, feel it. Wet and slimy." Amy pawed at the ground a few more times, fascinated. Behind them, a deep growl vibrated out of the back of the cave. Rose jerked her head in the direction of the sound and grimaced. The Doctor jumped to his feet and looked between the sound and Rose anxiously. Rose put her hand on her hip.

"It's not a floor."

"No it is not. It's a," he glanced down at Amy nervously and swallowed hard. "So."

"It's a what?" Amy stood shakily and stared at him. She wasn't showing nearly enough nervousness for the situation. The Doctor took hold of her arms and Rose took a few steps towards them.

"The next word is kind of a scary word. You probably want to take a moment, get yourself in a calm place. Go omm."

"Omm?" Amy tried hesitantly and Rose rolled her eyes. This was not how you calmed Amy down. Rose reached down and grabbed Amy's hand and spun her around to face her. She placed her hands on either side of Amy's face, thumbs on her temples and pulled her down to her level.

"Amy, go for a swim in the library," she whispered and watched Amy close her eyes as a look of concentration spread over her features. Amy pulled herself inward and sought out her imaginary place of peace. The swimming pool in the library. The idea always had a sort of golden radiance surrounding it.

The Doctor watched the exchange between them, his eyes flitting between the two women. He could feel Rose's mind reaching out and grazing the edge of Amy's consciousness before delving in and leading her. He could feel the guide and the movement, though he couldn't see the destination. That would require him to reveal his mental presence to them, and that wasn't something he was ready to do. He wasn't sure if Rose knew he was there. He wasn't even sure if Rose knew that she was doing it at all. It was so fluid and natural, as though it had been done many times before, but instinctual, like a knee jerk reaction. How often had Rose done this for her, easing her into a mental sanctuary, prompting emotional queues? How often had Rose mentally joined with Amy, without knowing she was doing so?

Rose smiled softly, watching Amy's face and closed her own eyes. She had taught her this trick, ages ago. It wasn't easy when you grew up holding onto your imaginary friends longer than others. This was the best way they had found for Amy to cope when she had nightmares or bullies. Amy had complained once that she couldn't do it if Rose wasn't touching her, so it had become a kind of ritual between the two if Amy had a bad day at school. Their own meditation. Rose pressed her thumbs into Amy's temples, their signal to return and Amy's eyes sprang open.

"It's a tongue," Rose said, voice level as she removed her hands from her face and watched Amy's eyes flicker with fear.

"A tongue," she repeated, voice faltering. She spun to stare at the Doctor behind her as he clapped his hands together and grinned.

"A tongue. A great big tongue!"

"This is a mouth. This whole place is a mouth?" she rotated slowly to stare at Rose who bit her lip and shrugged. She turned back to the Doctor, who looked as though Christmas had come early.

"We're in a mouth?" she cried.

"Yes, yes, yes. But on the plus side, roomy!" he answered happily.

"How do we get out?" Amy's voice started to pitch upwards in panic. The Doctor wasn't listening.

"How big is this beastie? It's gorgeous! Blimey, if this is just the mouth, I'd love to see the stomach," he exclaimed, and as though on cue, another rumbling growl escaped the throat. He spun to look towards the direction and Rose reached forward to grab Amy's hand tightly.

"Not right now, yeah?"

"How do we get out?" Amy repeated. Rose could hear the tremor in her voice. She squeezed her hand quickly before letting go to start scanning the walls of the mouth. The Doctor joined her.

"Ok, it's being fed through surgically implanted feeder tubes, so the normal entrance is…" He trailed off as he noticed the wall of giant teeth, clamped tightly shut, several meters in front of them.

"Closed for business?" Rose finished.

"We could try though!" Amy had started towards the row of teeth when the floor below them lurched and they were thrown forward. They managed to stay upright, but the rumbling moans had started up again.

"No, stop. Don't move." He reached out to keep Amy standing and Rose started to back away towards the teeth.

"Too late. It's started," she replied tersely, and pointed her sonic at the throat reflexively. Amy was looking between the two of them, swallowing down hot panic.

"What has?"

"Swallow reflex," the Doctor answered and he pointed his sonic at the throat as well, activating his. "Rose, setting 637," he threw over his shoulder. Rose activated her own.

"On it."

"What are you doing?" Amy cried as another tongue movement jerked their legs from beneath them.

"I'm vibrating the chemo-receptors." The Doctor and Rose kept their hands trained steadily at the back of the mouth, even as their bodies were thrown about.

"Chemo-what?"

"The eject button!" Rose exclaimed and backed up towards the teeth, crouching to keep her center of balance low. Amy's eyes widened as she turned to stare at her.

"How does a mouth have an eject button?" She started to crawl towards Rose's position behind her as the ground below them kept shifting and churning. Rose grabbed her arm and yanked them both upright, shooting her a look.

"Think about it!"

They all turned to look at the back of the mouth as an unsettling rumbling started. A wave of greasy liquid started to flow towards them and the Doctor took a few instinctual steps backwards, till he was standing just in front of them both. Rose gripped Amy's hand tightly.

"Right then. This isn't going to be big on dignity," the Doctor quipped, straightening his bowtie and a large smile spread on his face.

"Geronimo!"

* * *

Rose felt herself swim into consciousness. She laid where she was, eyes closed, and took stock of her body. Arms and legs felt fine, aside from the killer bruise she could already feel starting to form behind her right knee. Her fingers were still functional, if her grip on her screwdriver and Amy's hand were anything to go on, slimy though the grip was. Her head felt like it was swimming a bit, pressure on her cheeks as well. But that pressure felt external.

She opened her eyes a crack, to see the Doctor's face, bent low and close over hers. His hands were on either side of her face and the pads of his fingertips were gently pressing at multiple points. When he noticed her open eyes, he abruptly jerked his face backwards and removed his hands. He rubbed them together absentmindedly and sat back on his heels.

"Sorry. Checking for damage."

She blinked a few times and sat up on her elbows, ignoring the spinning in her head. She raised an eyebrow at him and he glanced around nervously.

"There's nothing broken. There's no sign of concussion," he rambled and started at Amy's burst into consciousness with a loud cough and splutter. Relieved to have someone to talk to who couldn't see through him he grinned widely at the now awake Amy.

"And yes, you are covered in sick!" He stood and started scanning the panel next to a large round door.

Rose stood wobbily and helped Amy to her feet, checking her for injury for the second time in what felt like minutes. She would either have to get used to the idea of Amy getting hurt while traveling or Amy would have to get used to her fussing, because Amy unconsciously pushed her hands away and addressed the Doctor.

"Where are we?"

"Overspill pipe, at a guess," he replied, continuing to scan the door. He wouldn't look at them.

"Oh, God, it stinks!" Amy scrunched her nose and Rose let out a snort.

"Oh, that's not the pipe," she replied. Amy sniffed herself and Rose giggled at her reaction, sticking her tongue between teeth. She pulled it back in her mouth abruptly as she became aware of her own similar condition. Not fun. Amy started trying to squeegee out her arms.

"Phew!"

"Can we get out?" Rose was trying to ignore her own rather unpleasant stench. The Doctor turned to her, outwardly calm. She could see the mania and anger building behind his eyes.

"One door. One door switch. One condition. We forget everything we saw. Look familiar?" he stepped aside to reveal one singular button like the one that had graced the voting booth. And that one button read Forget. Rose went to the button to examine it closer as the Doctor bounced up and down on his heels.

"That's the carrot," he muttered to her, and started walking down the pipe towards the other end. Two booths flooded with light, both containing the smiling men. Rose turned where she was to watch as he approached them. Amy stood where she was, nervously clenching and unclenching her fists with a quiet squelch.

"Oh, and here's the stick!" Rose could hear thinly veiled anger in his voice.

"There is a creature living at the heart of this ship. What's it doing there?" the Doctor demanded and scoffed when the smiling faces twisted to reveal frowning ones. Rose reached into her pocket to pull out her stunner slowly.

"No, that's not going to work on me, so come on. Big old beast below decks, and everyone who protests gets shoved down its throat. That how it works?"

The faces rotated once more to red eyed snarling masks. Rose took a few cautious steps towards them from the door, placing Amy behind her. She could hear the rising frustration in the Doctor's voice.

"Oh, stop it. I'm not leaving and I'm not forgetting, and what are you fellows going to do about it? Stick out your tongues, eh?"

"I don't think they have tongues, Doctor," Rose started and the bottom of the booths cracked open with a hiss. The doors swung open on their hinges and they all took a few steps back as the scowling heads became scowling bodies, taking a few mechanized, menacing steps towards them. Ross sighed inwardly and stepped forward.

"I hate being right," she complained and fired her stunner at the closest man. He bent over at the waist and twitched for a few moments. Just as she took aim at the other, the first one righted himself with a tremor and resumed his walk towards them. She could hear Amy's sharp intake of breath behind her.

"Rose?"

The door behind them burst open, and the figure in red strode into the pipe, gun forward, cape billowing. She fired off a few shots at the men and they fell to the ground, twitching as they had when Rose had fired. The woman spun to face them, holstering her gun with a flourish. She wasn't wearing the same white porcelain mask she'd had earlier. They could see in its place the attractive, bronzed face of a woman none of them recognized.

"Look who it is!" The Doctor grinned and Rose gave her a quick once over.

"You look a lot better without your mask," she offered and the stranger shot her a smirk before turning to Amy, who was still pressed against the walls of the pipe nervously.

"You must be Amy. Liz. Liz Ten." She held out her hand to shake Amy's.

"Hi," Amy replied, taking the hand. The woman made a face and pulled it back to wipe on her cloak.

"Uh yuck. Lovely hair, Amy. Shame about the sick," she offered and went back to the door to beckon someone inside. "You know Mandy, yeah? She's very brave."

Mandy looked between the three adults covered in a wet and smelly substance and smiled nervously.

"How did you find us?" the Doctor asked.

"Stuck my gizmo on you," she answered, pointing at Rose. Rose narrowed her eyes and reached into her pocket to remove the communicator device the woman had given her earlier. She eyed it suspiciously. She really should have known better. If she hadn't have been so concerned for Amy, she would've picked up on it. She'd used this exact trick before herself. The woman raised an eyebrow at her, smirking.

"Been listening in. Nice moves on the hurl escape," she offered. "So, what's the big fella doing here?"

"You're over sixteen, you've voted. Whatever this is, you've chosen to forget about it," the Doctor shrugged.

"No. Never forgot, never voted. Not technically a British subject."

"Then who and what are you, and how do you know us?" The woman smiled at him, a true, genuine smile.

"You're a bit hard to miss love. Mysterious stranger. MO consistent with higher alien intelligence. Hair of an idiot. I've been brought up on the stories. My whole family was." She shot Rose a grin as the Doctor self-consciously ruffled his hair. "My favorite ones had you in them."

Rose frowned as understanding started to hit her. Was this actually who she thought it could be. She'd said her name was Liz Ten. That couldn't possibly mean what she thought it could mean.

"Your family?" the Doctor began, but the whirring and clicking of mechanical things interrupted him. Behind them, the snarling men had started to twitch just as they had after Rose had shot them. Liz's countenance changed from nostalgia back to solider in a moment.

"They're repairing. Doesn't take them long. Let's move."

Liz Ten led them out of the pipe and out into an engine basemen

* * *

t of some kind. It was filled with storage crates and used broken machinery. Rose noted three booths with currently smiling men inside. They didn't appear to be moving.

"The Doctor. Old drinking buddy of Henry Twelve. Tea and Scones with Liz Two. And Rose! Vicky was a bit on the fence about you two, weren't she? Knighted and exiled you both on the same day. I suppose your nakedness didn't help things thought, Rose. Were you really naked in highland Scotland? And why were you that way in the first place?" Liz snickered and shot a wink back at Rose's reddening face.

"Ha! And so much for the Virgin Queen, you bad, bad boy!" The Doctor cleared his throat loudly and could feel Rose's raised eyebrow behind him. Probably best not to bring that up.

"Liz Ten?"

"Liz Ten, yeah. Elizabeth the Tenth. And down!"

Rose grabbed Amy's hand and yanked her down as the Doctor and Mandy crouched quickly. Liz turned and fired at a few of the now snarling men that had begun to follow them. _Focus_ , Rose told herself sternly. She'd been too engrossed in the past escapades. She hadn't notice their tail. Her opinion of Liz rose a few notches. Liz holstered her weapons and smirked down at them.

"I'm the bloody Queen, mate. Basically, I rule."

Rose stood quickly and grabbed Amy's hand as they followed her. Amy giggled and bumped her shoulder into Rose.

"It's the queen! The future queen! We just watched the future queen shoot a robot!" she hissed happily and Rose couldn't help but grin back at her. Something akin to relief washed through her at the knowledge that Amy wasn't completely scarred by what was happening around her. She was coping, having fun even. That's all she'd ever hoped for her.

Liz Ten veered off to the left and motioned them through a large metal door. They funneled into a narrow metal corridor with grating on either side. The sound of flesh beating against something metal erratically drummed through the hallway.

"There's a high-speed Vator though there. Oh yeah. There's these things," Liz motioned to the grating to their left. The Doctor crouched and stuck his head almost through the bars for a better look. Behind them, two large sharp tentacles flailed against the metal of the grating, banging against it in turns. The Doctor stood slowly, studying them.

"Any ideas?" Liz Ten questioned, watching him. Amy's eyes widened at the sight and she tugged on Rose's hand.

"I saw one of these up top. There was a hole in the road, like it had burst through like a root." Rose frowned at her.

"What were you doing that you found one of these things?" Amy side-eyed her with a nervous grin and Rose raised an eyebrow.

"Do I even want to know?" Rose rolled her eyes at Amy's head shake. "You know what? Never mind."

The Doctor ignored their interaction. He was riveted on the tentacle, and when he spoke again, his voice was soft.

"Exactly like a root. It's all one creature, the same one we were inside, reaching out. It must be growing through the mechanisms of the entire ship," he breathed and Rose could feel her stomach coiling nervously at his words. Not in fear, in apprehension. It was starting to feel like bad idea to keep snooping around.

"What, like an infestation?" Liz asked, and her face grew steely. "Someone's helping it. Feeding it. Feeding my subjects to it. Come on. Got to keep moving."

Liz swept down the corridor, with Mandy following closely behind. Rose dropped Amy's hand and took a tentative step towards the Doctor. He had yet to look away from the creature. Amy bit her lip, watching them. The words she'd used to plead with herself from the monitor looped through her mind.

 _Don't let them investigate. Stop them. Do whatever you have to, just please, please get the Doctor and Rose off this ship!_

"Doctor?" Rose tried.

"Oh, Rose. We should never have come here," he whispered and looked down at her. He looked so sad. As though he knew how this would end. His eyes were resigned as though he had already done this before, and detesting it, but already preparing to do it again. Whatever it was. He followed after Liz Ten, leaving Rose and Amy to follow behind him silently.

* * *

Liz Ten's mood hadn't improved. She'd led them through several more tunnels and doors and one rather long metal rung ladder before opening a trapdoor to her private quarters in Buckingham Palace. Amy had been ecstatic, but Liz Ten had just curled up on her bed, her knees pulled to her chest and leaning on the headboard, and wrapped her red cloak around her to hide everything but her face.

The rooms were lavish by anyone's standards, and Liz had mentioned that they were in fact the actual rooms from the palace, transferred to the ship before departure. Rose, who had been sonicing Amy dry when she mentioned that, had to keep a firm grip on Amy to keep her from bouncing around in excitement.

While the sonic could dry them, it could do nothing for the nastiness that crusted on them in a thin layer. Rose made a mental note to take a thorough shower when they got back to the TARDIS. Whenever that would be. She silently thanked the ship for keeping her bedroom and pulled a hair tie from her discarded backpack for herself and Amy. Gross hair up was better than gross hair down.

The Doctor, who had dried himself the minute they had reached the apartments, was bent over, examining a rather large collection of water filled cups, glasses, and goblets concentrated in a corner of the room.

"Why all the glasses?" he asked, with a quick look at Liz's pensive face. That seemed to rouse her.

"To remind me every single day that my government is up to something, and it's my duty to find out what."

He picked up her discarded white mask at the end of the bed and spoke his next words to it.

"A queen going undercover to investigate her own kingdom." Liz sat up a little at that, her voice almost trembling with barely contained anger.

"Secrets are being kept from me. I don't have a choice. Ten years I've been at this. My entire reign. And you've achieved more in one afternoon," she finished bitterly and watched as he compared the porcelain mask to her. Amy curled up on the bench at the end of the bed as Rose stood behind her, braiding Amy's hair to keep it out of her face if and when they should need to run again. Amy tilted her head back a little, humming contentedly. Rose smiled to herself. Amy turned into a cat whenever Rose did her hair when she was a child. Apparently that hadn't changed in the two years she'd missed.

"How old were you when you came to the throne?" Rose asked, fingers still working on Amy's hair.

"Forty. Why?" Amy stirred under Rose's hands to look over at Liz.

"What, you're fifty now? No way." Liz grinned back, the twinkle in her eyes beginning to return.

"Yeah, they slowed my biological clock. Keeps me looking like the stamps," she winked. The Doctor walked around the edge of the bed to sit, mask still in his hands.

"And you always wear this in public?" He held up the mask for her to see, and watched her face for a reaction.

"Undercover's not easy when you're me. The autographs, the bunting." He looked back down at the mask and slowly ran a long finger down the nose of it.

"Air-balanced porcelain. Stays on by itself." He held up the mask between them, aligning it so he could see her eyes through the holes. "Because it's perfectly sculpted to your face."

"Yeah? So what?" He lowered the mask and leaned forward, studying her face. Rose finished tying off Amy's braid and looked between the two of them. The Doctor's voice was low when he answered her.

"Oh, Liz. So everything."

The doors behind the two of them shuttered open and Amy flinched out of her lounging position at the end of the bed. Liz swung her legs out of bed and Rose edged her way towards her backpack where she'd left it in the corner. As she grabbed the strap, several tall men in black cloaks, hoods covering their faces pushed their way in. The Doctor calmly stood and walked to where they were and Rose slipped her hand into her bag and attempted to dig for her scanner as silently as she could. Liz joined the Doctor and glared up at the men.

"What are you doing? How dare you come in here?"

A dark, calm man at the front looked up from under his hood to answer. His face and voice were expressionless.

"Ma'am, you have expressed interest in the interior workings of Starship UK. You will come with us now." Rose felt her fingers brush her stunner and pulled it out carefully, still crouched over her backpack. She tightened her grip on the strap in case they should need to run.

"Why would I do that?"

A soft mechanical clicking noise began and the man's head started to rotate. Similar to the men in the booth's heads. Edges of a plastic mask started to turn into view. Correction. Exactly like the men in the booth's heads. Rose watched Amy take a step back as the other men in the group started to follow suit. Within a few moments all of the faces had changed to the red snarling masks. Rose stood slowly and took a few careful steps towards the rest of them. She reached out to grip Amy's hand from behind her, to let her now she was there, but stayed back and watched.

"How can they be Smilers?" Amy hissed, and groped to take Rose's hand back. To her credit, Liz appeared to be taking it all in stride. Perhaps nothing surprised her anymore. When the Doctor responded, Rose could hear the interest in his voice.

"Half Smiler, half human."

"Whatever you creatures are, I am still your queen," Liz raised her voice and the men shifted towards her slightly. "On whose authority is this done?" she demanded.

"The highest authority, Ma'am," the emotionless voice continued. Without the moving mouths, it was hard to discern who had spoken.

"I am the highest authority," Liz snarled, but the answering voice seemed unaffected.

"Yes, Ma'am. You must go now, Ma'am."

"Where?"

"The Tower, Ma'am," the voice answered and Rose felt the almost imperceptible shift in the room. Fear. That's what the difference felt like. Ice cold fear. Rose pulled out of Amy's vice grip long enough to pull on her backpack. One of the men turned and walked out of the room stiffly. The Smilers parted to make a way towards the entrance, and stood, waiting for them to follow. Like the queen she was, Liz lifted her chin and walked out purposefully and the Doctor followed her out curiously. Mandy walked out quickly behind them, eyes on the ground. Amy grabbed Rose's hand and looked down at her. Rose could see the terror in her eyes and squeezed her hand reassuringly as she noted Amy's accelerating breathing.

"Come on. It'll be fine, yeah? I'm right here. Promise," Rose winked at her, trying to exude more confidence than she actually felt. Amy nodded and swallowed down the rising fear. Her pleas to herself started to replay in her mind again.

 _Don't let them investigate. Stop them. Do whatever you have to, just please, please get the Doctor and Rose off this ship!_

She should have listened to herself.

* * *

The Smilers pushed open a heavy wooden door and stood aside for them to pass through. Amy pulled herself from Rose's grip to examine a familiar banging noise coming from a grating on the floor. Mandy joined her, but kept a healthy distance back. She could see several of those tentacles she'd seen earlier throwing themselves at the metal grating. Rose hovered near the door. Nothing about this felt right.

"Doctor, where are we?" Amy looked up from the grating at him as he brushed past her into the room. His movements were jerky and stiff, as though it was taking an enormous amount of self-control to stay calm. Rose knew that body language all too well, even it was on a different body. She entered the room just far enough for the Smiler to shut the door behind her and bit her lip, eyes trained on him.

"The lowest part of Starship UK. The dungeon," he replied with thinly veiled bitterness. An older man in the same black cloak as the other men stood patiently for them over to the side. His hands were clasped in front of him and behind his glasses, his eyes were sad. Resigned. When Liz and the Doctor approached where he was standing, he took a step forward.

"Ma'am," he nodded at Liz.

"Hawthorne," she spat. "So this is where you hid yourself away. I think you've got some explaining to do."

The Doctor stopped just left of the man and was quietly surveying the room when a silent line of children started to file through the room. They were all in some sort of a trance it appeared, oblivious to their surroundings, each sporting the same expressionless face. They tugged at Rose's heart and she took a few more steps into the room to stand next to Amy. The Doctor watched them, and tried touching a few to get a reaction. Nothing.

"There's children down here. What's all that about?"

"Protestors and citizens of limited value are fed to the beast. For some reason, it won't eat the children."

"That's disgusting," Rose hissed behind them, but the man simply turned to look at her grimly as he continued.

"You're the first adults it's spared. You're very lucky." Rose scoffed and the Doctor raised his eyebrows. Rose could see how precariously close he was to slipping. He'd slip into the Oncoming Storm and nothing could stop him then. Not even her.

"Yeah, look at us. Torture chamber of the Tower of London. Lucky, lucky, lucky." His voice dripped with sarcasm and he started to pace the perimeter of the room, his voice intensifying.

"Except it's not a torture chamber, is it? Well, except it is. Except it isn't. Depends on your angle."

He stopped in the center of the room and leaned over the railing of a round opening. A sharp metal weapon was pointed downward, firing a beam of electricity downward at regular intervals. Liz, Amy, and Mandy approached the opening rails. Rose held back hesitantly, bile rising in her throat. One step closer, another. Little by little, the opening came into view and Rose's hand flew to her mouth as she shuddered out a gasp. The opening was to a large brain. A large, softly pulsing portion of brain tissue that the weapon was continually discharging at. She swallowed down her disgust and gripped the railing, knuckles going white. The Doctor shot her a look and she could see the rage behind his carefully masked expression. She wondered if anyone else could see it, or if it was just her.

"What's that?" Liz asked and his eyes cut sharply to her.

"Well, like I say, it depends on the angle. It's either the exposed pain center of big fella's brain, being tortured relentlessly," he started.

"Or?" Liz interrupted.

"Or it's the gas pedal, the accelerator. Starship Uk's go faster button," he spat, eyes narrowed. Rose could see panic start to spread over Liz's face, and watched as she fought to keep herself collected.

"I don't understand," she tried and the Doctor rounded on her, crossing around the opening to glare down at her. His voice was harsh and full of judgement.

"Don't you? Try to. Go on. The spaceship that could never fly. No vibration on deck. This creature, this poor, trapped, terrified, creature. It's not infesting you, it's not invading. It's what you have instead of an engine. And this place down here is where you hurt it, where you torture it, day after day, just to keep it moving." He cut himself off, and went to the grating that Amy had been viewing the tentacles from and yanked the cover off. The tentacle sprang free and pulsed several feet above the Doctor. Withered, Rose's mind reminded her and she flinched at the connotation.

"Tell you what. Normally, it's above the range of human hearing. This is the sound none of you wanted to hear." He pointed his sonic at the creature and abruptly a harsh, keeling noise filled the chamber. It sounded like desperate squealing, relentless crying, tortured begging. Out of instinct, Rose's hand when to her chest to press the TARDIS vial deep into the center of her chest, using the sharp hot sting to steady herself. Habit. Amy's hands went to her ears to drown out the poor creature's wails and her own minds repeated warnings. Liz waved her hand for him to stop and spun to face Hawthorne.

"You did this?" Her voice was quiet and trembling. Quiet rage. The man had the courtesy to look downward, but his voice remained as unnervingly calm as before.

"We act on instructions from the highest authority." Liz's eyes flashed dangerously and she took a few steps towards him.

"I am the highest authority. The creature will be released, now." None of the men in the room moved. Rose's eyes darted to the Doctor quickly. She had a sinking feeling that she knew where this was going. He was watching the interaction between Liz and the man through narrowed, calculating eyes.

"I said now! Is anyone listening to me?" Liz's voice started to pitch upwards in fury, but the Doctor interrupted her. He held up her white porcelain mask, still in his hand.

"Liz. Your mask."

"What about my mask?" she sneered and he tossed it to her from across the room.

"Look at it. It's old. At least two hundred years old I'd say." He slowly made his way around the center opening with heavy steps. As he passed Rose, he let his hand graze her white knuckles, barely touching. When the pads of his fingertips connected with the top of her hand, she could feel the faintest echo of another consciousness brush hers just as softly. If she hadn't been so absorbed in this creatures pain and her own she could have recognized the familiar plea for strength. A plea for help to keep from spiraling off. She may not have been able to register it consciously, but he felt her subconscious respond and pour some golden strength into his mind. He sighed softly at the feeling and drank it greedily. He'd forgotten he needed it. How he would need it now. He continued past Rose with only a minute falter in his step and stopped in front of Liz.

"Yeah? It's an antique. So?" She was making quite an effort to keep the panic out of her voice.

"Yeah, an antique made by a craftsman two hundred years ago and perfectly sculpted to your face. They slowed your body clock, all right, but you're not fifty. Nearer three hundred. And it's been a long old reign."

Rose watched panic flash across her face, followed quickly by stout denial. Liz shook her head and looked away from the Doctor's intense gaze.

"Nah, its ten years. I've been on this throne ten years," she insisted.

"Ten years." He grabbed her hand and started to pull her to another side of the room. If she wouldn't see it on her own, he'd force her to see it. "And the same ten years, over and over again, always leading you here."

He stopped in front of a table with a single television screen on top of it, identical to the ones in the voting booth. On the table there were two round buttons that read Forget and Abdicate. Amy and Mandy followed them over to the table, but Rose stayed where she was in the center. She knew where this would go. She could feel the same familiar knot forming in her gut that she got in a no-win scenario. This would end terribly and it would hurt them all, but no one more than the Doctor. First trip out in a new body, and it had to be this. She wouldn't watch the screen. She was pretty sure she knew what it would say. She would watch his face. Watch for the very moment that he snapped. Because she could feel it coming. The knot always felt the same. Liz stared at the display and numbly turned to look at Hawthorne as he came to a stop at her side.

"What have you done?" He smiled grimly at her.

"Only what you have ordered. We work for you, Ma'am. The Winders, the Smilers, all of us." He reached up and pressed a switch above the screen and it faded into view. Liz blinked a few times at her face and watched herself struggle to compose herself to begin.

"If you are watching this. If I am watching this, then I have found my way to the Tower of London. The creature you are looking at is called a Star Whale. Once, there were millions of them. They lived in the depths of space and, according to legend, guided the early space travelers through the asteroid belts. This one, as far as we are aware, is the last of its kind. And what we have done to it breaks my heart." The voice broke and on screen, Liz paused to wipe a tear away before continuing. Shame and guilt dripped from her voice. The Doctor's eyes looked deadened.

"The Earth was burning. Our sun had turned on us and every other nation had fled to the skies. Our children screamed as the skies grew hotter. And then it came, like a miracle. The last of the Star Whales. We trapped it, we built our ship around it, and we rode on its back to safety. If you wish our voyage to continue, then you must press the Forget button. Be again the heart of this nation, untainted. If not, press the other button. Your reign will end, the Star Whale will be released, and our ship will disintegrate. I hope I keep the strength to make the right decision."

Liz stared numbly at her own face. Amy's eyes were wide, head shaking slightly. She was shocked. She ached.

"I voted for this. Why would I do that?" She glanced at Rose in the center of the room, pleading before turning to the Doctor for answers. He wouldn't meet her eye, just stared hard at the screen.

"Because you knew if we stayed here, I'd be faced with an impossible choice. Humanity or the alien. You took it upon yourself to save me from that. And that was wrong." His head jerked to hers and his eyes flashed dangerously as his voice pitched low. "You don't ever decide what I need to know."

Amy gaped at him, and felt hurt and guilt mingling at his words. "I don't even remember doing it," she insisted. Rose pushed her hand deeper into her chest and blinked away tears. This was the face she knew was coming. This was the moment. The painful point of no return. He was lost to the idea of a happy ending. He had to again be the Killer of his Own Kind. The Oncoming Storm. That's what the universe needed at the moment. Not a Doctor. He glared down at Amy, eyes narrowed.

"You did it. That's what counts." Amy felt her eyes fill with tears and was lost for words. How do you answer to something you have no memory of doing.

"I'm…I'm sorry," she tried.

"Oh, I don't care," he sneered and turned his back on her. "When I'm done here, you're going home."

"Doctor," Rose started from her spot. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye but didn't reply. He went to the controls and started working. Rose took a few steps towards him, her voice low with warning.

"Doctor, if she goes, I go with her." He stopped his movements long enough to meet her eyes. She almost took a step back from the intensity of swirling, blatant emotion in his eyes. Instead she stood her ground and glared right back at him.

"Yeah, I know," he whispered.

Amy's voice cut in as she came to stand next to Rose and the Doctor resumed his actions. She slipped her hand into hers and challenged him with her.

"Why? Because I made a mistake? One mistake? I don't even remember doing it!" The Doctor didn't look up from the controls and Amy raised her voice to get his attention. "Doctor!"

"You're only human," he snapped, eyes darting to hers for a long moment, before continuing.

"What are you doing?" Liz asked softly from behind them. He didn't look up to answer.

"The worst thing I'll ever do. I'm going to pass a massive electrical charge through the Star Whale's brain. Should knock out all its higher functions, leave it a vegetable. The ship will fly, but the whale won't feel it."

"That'll be like killing it," Rose insisted and the Doctor looked up at her quickly. His eyes cut her to the core and she felt Amy flinch next to her under his gaze. Rose didn't move and rubbed her thumb across the back of Amy's hand gently. She had learned a long time ago to not quake under his gaze. Amy would learn too. He would not take her home.

"Look, three options. One, I let the Star Whale continue in unendurable agony for hundreds more years. Two, I kill everyone on this ship. Three, I murder a beautiful, innocent creature as painlessly as I can." He broke her gaze just as his voice started to crack and stared down at the console. His voice grew unbearably bitter.

"And then I find a new name, because I won't be the Doctor anymore," he finished softly.

"There must be something we can do, some other way," Liz started but the Doctor banged his hand on top of the controls loudly. All of them flinched at that, except Rose who just continued to study him. He didn't look at her, wouldn't look at her as he screamed his next words.

"Nobody talk to me! Nobody human has anything to say to me today!" Rose glared at him and slammed her own hands on the controls for the other side, forcing him to look at her.

"Well, apparently I'm not human so you listen to me! You will find another way. Do you hear me? Doctor, you will find another way, because I am not letting you do this. You are the Doctor. What happened to no killing? What have you turned in to? What have you become? Have you become this since I left?" she hissed and watched the pain flit through his eyes at the mention of their separation before returning to cold fury.

"You should know better than anyone that there isn't always another way. You are evidence of my biggest failure. Rose Tyler, Defender of a Parallel Earth," he spat venomously.

Rose shut her mouth with an audible snap and turned on her heel. She grabbed Amy's hand and started to drag her towards the opposite wall.

"Come on, Amy. Let him self-destruct. If he says there's nothing else to do, than he knows what's best." She slid down the wall to sit on the ground and glared at him. He wouldn't meet her eyes, continuing to work on the controls. He threw himself into his alterations. It was just computers and wires and technology. He could lose himself in this cold logical act, divorced from emotion and pain. He needed to be the controls to complete this. Cold and logical. No emotion. No feelings. No…

How could she not see that he didn't have a choice? Every fiber of his being rebelled against the very idea of this, but what other option did he have. He couldn't bear any of his decisions. He was always forced into these scenarios where the loser was always him. Well, if the universe needed a whipping boy, then he would be it. He would take it all, take all the pain in the universe, and carry it around inside himself so no one else had to feel it. There was more than enough room for it in his hollow soul.

Another line of children started to file through the door and Mandy pushed herself off from the ground where she'd been sitting next to Amy and ran to one of the little boys. Amy watched her go.

"Timmy! You made it, you're ok!" The little boy stared at her blankly, and didn't move. Mandy reached out to touch his shoulder. "It's me, Mandy," she tried and he just continued to stare at her.

They had stopped near the open grating. The tentacle snaked outward and upward again and bent towards Mandy's turned back. Amy sat up quickly, intending to call out.

The tentacle gently tapped Mandy on the shoulder. It pulled back slightly and swayed lightly as Mandy started to stroke it. The little boy tentatively joined her and Amy gasped. Of course.

The Doctor had said to notice everything. Well she was noticing this. The Star Whale was responding with unbearable kindness to these two little children, even as it was tortured. It wouldn't eat the children. It had come to a burning Earth because of the sound of children screaming. It was the last of its kind.

Amy's eyes darted over to the Doctor, lost in his work. He was the last of his kind. And he was unbearably kind to crying children. She knew that first hand. He had been so gentle with her. What was it he had said earlier? When she asked if he didn't interfere with other peoples or planets unless there were children crying? He'd smiled happily and said _yes._

Of course. She jumped to her feet, adrenaline flooding her body. She knew what to do. She, Amy Pond, a human, knew what the answer was.

"Doctor, stop! Whatever you're doing, stop it now!" She ran to Liz and yanked her towards the table with the buttons. She hadn't pressed either yet. "Sorry, Your Majesty. Going to need a hand."

"Amy, no! No!" the Doctor cried and Rose jumped to her feet, but they were both too late. Amy took Liz's hand and slammed it down on the Abdicate button. Everyone froze and stared around the room. Everything was still for a moment and they collectively held their breath and waited while the gentle creaking of metal began.

The room lurched to the side as the Star Whale roared and a heavy metal crash echoed through the ship. Rose was thrown back against the wall but managed to stay upright. The Doctor ran to her side the moment the room stopped shaking and tried to place his hands on either side of her head to check for injury. Rose put her hand on the back of her head and shook her head at him quickly and watched his concern melt into fear as he realized they had gone still. He turned to stare at Amy, horrified.

"Amy, what have you done?" he whispered.

"Nothing at all. Am I right?" She turned to look over at Hawthorne, who was examining the ships controls.

"We've increased speed," he answered with astonishment in his voice. Amy grinned giddily at them. Her relief was palpable and coursing through her body.

"Yeah, well, you've stopped torturing the pilot. Gotta help."

Amy ran to Rose and grabbed her in a tight hug. Rose could feel her slightly trembling, but she had been right. Amy had gotten it right.

"It's still here. I don't understand." Liz was quiet as she walked towards the brain opening. Awestruck. The Doctor's eyes hadn't left Amy. How had she seen this? Amy pulled back from Rose's arms to join Liz at the opening. Rose followed her over but the Doctor was frozen in place, studying Amy.

"The Star Whale didn't come like a miracle all those years ago. It volunteered. You didn't have to trap it or torture it. That was all just you. It came because it couldn't stand to watch your children cry." Amy turned to look over at the Doctor and he almost staggered at the forgiveness and understanding on her face. Rose looked up at Amy and then over at the Doctor, smiling through free flowing tears.

"What if you were really old, and really kind, and alone? Your whole race dead. No future. What couldn't you do then? If you were that old, and that kind, and the very last of your kind, you couldn't just stand there and watch children cry."

Rose took Amy's hand and looked up at her with a watery smile. She had never felt so proud of her in all her life. It wasn't often that you got proof of how your child had turned out, if your raising had worked or not. And this amazing girl, this adult woman and amazing human being that she'd had the undeniable honor to raise had become a stunning person.

Amy pulled out of her hand to hug Liz, and Rose turned in time to watch the Doctor leave the room. No one else seemed to notice. She followed him out the dungeon door and silently trailed him down a few corridors. When it opened into a large viewing hall, with walls of windows to space he stopped, and crossed his arms, staring out into the vastness of it all. Rose watched him for a moment, in silence.

She took a few careful steps towards him until she was next to him. His expression hadn't changed, but his eyes had. They were still swirling with emotion, but the cocktail was of a much less poisonous mixture. They stood there in contemplative silence before he leaned carefully towards Rose. She didn't do anything, but shifted her weight so that she was leaning towards him. The edges of their arms skimmed each other's and he looked down at her. Rose raised an eyebrow in silent question and he opened and shut his mouth a few times, lost for words. She smiled gently and saved him the trouble.

"She's a pretty amazing person, Doctor."

"She is."

"You won't take her home." It wasn't a question. She already knew the answer. He shook his head and looked back out of the window.

"I've been on my own for too long now. I can't see it anymore. You make the entire universe your backyard and what do you get? A backyard. I can look at a star and I know how it started and how it ends and I was probably there both times."

"You need her the way you needed me. To see the wonder in the universe again." Rose smiled softly to herself at the memory, but felt him shudder.

"Rose Tyler, I've never needed someone the way I need you."

Rose's breath caught in her throat at the raw simplicity of his statement and dug her nails into the palm of her hand. Her body flooded with a familiar and foreign warmth and she tramped out the start of joy his statement brought her. This was going down a dangerous path. She couldn't think about this. This was all too soon. Too much. Even before they'd been forced apart, this was normally his cue to shift his mood away like mercury. Maybe it was the heaviness of the day, or the shock that she was here with him, or his new face, but he wasn't shifting. He wasn't writing it off or downplaying it. He looked down at her face, still stubbornly facing the windows. She could feel his gaze on her. The sound of approaching footsteps saved her from having to answer and she breathed inwardly in relief. It was relief she felt. Mostly. Not disappointment. Certainly none of that.

Amy turned the corner into the room and stopped when she saw them. They were both facing the windows, standing so close their arms were touching, leaned into each other. And the Doctor was looking down at her with a look that took Amy's breath away. How could Rose have not told her? Surely she had to have known. The Doctor was in love with Rose Tyler. The evidence was written all over his face. It was unreserved, unashamed, and unrepentant. He was in love. And Rose wouldn't look at him.

Amy cleared her throat and watched Rose lean away from him and turn towards her. He merely looked back at the sky, arms crossed. Rose pulled her into her arms when she got close enough and hugged her tightly. Amy buried her face in her shoulder and allowed the soft scent of Rose calm her shaken nerves. She squeezed her back and felt Rose plant a kiss in her hair.

"I'm so proud of you," she whispered and Amy nodded, thankful for the hug to hide the tears that were beginning. She pulled back to wipe the offending liquid and Rose took a few careful steps back. This was their moment. Amy needed this.

"From Her Majesty." Amy produced the porcelain mask and held in front of the Doctor's crossed arms for him to take. "She says there will be no more secrets on Starship UK."

He looked down at it, and then back out of the window silently. He still radiated anxiousness and concern. Maybe a little anger still.

"Amy, you could have killed everyone on this ship." Amy felt the high of her victory dissipate and dropped her hand with the mask in it to her side heavily. How could he not be happy about this? She had found another way.

"You could've killed a Star Whale," she answered quietly, and she couldn't keep the hurt tone out of her voice. Rose bit her lip, but kept silent. The Doctor looked sideways at Amy, conflicted.

"And you saved it. I know, I know," he conceded gently and they both looked out over the ship.

"Amazing though, don't you think?" Amy asked after a moment. "The Star Whale. All that pain and misery and loneliness, and it just made it kind." She looked over at his face.

"But you couldn't have known how it would react," he started but Amy interrupted him.

"You couldn't. But I've seen it before. Very old and very kind. And the very, very last." He met her gaze finally and she smiled. "Sound a bit familiar?"

His face melted into a soft smile and hugged her tightly. Rose smiled behind them and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Hey," Amy whispered into his shoulder.

"What?"

"Gotcha," she giggled and felt him bury his face in their hug.

"Huh. Gotcha," he repeated and Rose put her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing or crying or both. Amy pulled away slightly to grab Rose by the hand and yanked her into the hug. She was lost under their arms, crushed between the two much taller people. She hadn't hugged anyone but Amy in so long but regardless she melted into the feeling of someone else's arms holding her together.

* * *

"Shouldn't we say goodbye? Won't they wonder where we went?" Amy asked, skipping every few steps to keep up. Rose was practically jogging behind the two of them. The Doctor was anxious to get back to the TARDIS, and Rose couldn't blame him. She was anxious to get to a shower. He grinned over at Amy.

"For the rest of their lives. Oh, the songs they'll write," he cried and slowed as the TARDIS came into view, pausing to pull out his key. "Never mind them. Big day tomorrow!"

"Does that mean I finally get some sleep?" Rose quipped and he shot her a grin.

"Sorry, what?" Amy froze in her tracks and Rose came around to face her, concerned at her sudden change in demeanor. The Doctor was rubbing the side of the TARDIS, mentally reaching out to greet her and didn't notice.

"Well, it's always a big day tomorrow. We've got a time machine. I skip the little ones." Amy's eyes darted back and forth between Rose's concerned face and the Doctor's back.

"You know what I said about getting back tomorrow morning?" He turned slowly and Rose raised an eyebrow at her. She shifted her weight from one foot to another nervously. "Have you ever run away from something because you were scared, or not ready, or just…just because you could?"

"Oh Amy," Rose breathed and took her hands. She may not know what she was running from but she knew that feeling all too well. She suspected all TARDIS inhabitants had felt that at some time.

"Once, a long time ago," the Doctor answered and Amy's gaze shifted to his.

"What happened?" The Doctor held out his hands and grinned guiltily.

"Hello." Rose snorted and he frowned at her back, but Amy's demeanor hadn't changed from nervousness. She squeezed Rose's hands to get her attention and took a deep breath.

"Rose, there's something I haven't told you," she started and the frowned. There was a phone ringing. The sound of a phone ringing from inside the TARDIS. "No, hang on. Is there a phone ringing?"

The Doctor grinned at her over Rose's head and Amy pulled her hands away to follow him into the TARDIS. Rose scowled at Amy's change of subject and followed them in, shutting the door behind them.

"People phone you?" Amy asked, steadfastly avoiding Rose's eye.

"Well, it's a phone box. Would you mind?" He motioned to the phone and started priming the TARDIS to enter the Vortex. Rose glared at him for assisting with Amy's plan to change to subject, but he also avoided her gaze.

"Uh, wasn't there something important you had to tell me?" Rose called and crossed her arms and tapped her foot at the bottom of the stairs. Amy shot her a replica of the Doctor's guilty grin and hastily grabbed the phone on the dash.

"Hello? Sorry, who? No, seriously, who?" She frowned at the phone and looked over at the Doctor. "Says he's the Prime Minister. First the Queen, now the Prime Minister. Get about, don't you?"

Rose took the steps two at a time and sat with a huff into the jump seat. If they wanted to ignore her, fine. She'd convince the TARDIS to delay making Amy a room. At least until she had an answer. She glanced at the top of the console and felt a soft brush against her consciousness. It felt like amusement.

He grinned cheekily and asked "Which Prime Minister?" Amy put the phone back to her ear and repeated his question before shouldering it again.

"The British one," she answered and he smugly rolled his eyes.

"Which British one?" Amy repeated the question into the phone and hastily passed off the phone, trying and failing to keep the disbelief from her voice.

"Winston Churchill for you." The Doctor took the phone and Amy flopped down next to Rose in the jump seat while the Doctor chatted candidly with Winston Churchill. Amy nudged her and giggled.

"Did I really just talk to Winston Churchill? And did the Doctor just call him dear?" Rose nodded and grinned at her excitement. She turned to look at the Doctor in time to hear his parting words before he rang off and dematerialized the TARDIS.

"Don't worry about a thing, Prime Minister. We're on our way." Rose raised her eyebrows at him.

"I hope you don't mean right now. I need a shower and sleep. I've been up since you broke into our house," she muttered and Amy glanced over at her. She'd forgotten it was all so sudden for Rose still. She'd waited for two years for the Doctor to bring Rose back, but it had only been moments for Rose. It wasn't something she could quite comprehend. She supposed she must get used to it at some time, but at the moment, it wasn't something she could grasp. The Doctor glanced over at her and adopted a whiny tone.

"Oh, right. Fine. If you insist." He pulled a lever and leaned against the console, facing them, and crossed his arms. His face said that he had done them a very large favor. "We'll just stay in the Vortex for now."

"Thanks," Rose replied dryly and grabbed Amy's hand. "Come on, then. You need a shower as much as I do." She sniffed her and scrunched her nose. "Maybe more than I do."

"Oi!" Amy glared at her, but Rose simply pulled her out of the console room into the depths of the TARDIS.

* * *

It didn't take long for the TARDIS to present Rose's room to them. One corner turn to be exact, and then to their immediate left, there it was. The door clicked open softly and Rose pushed it inward. She staunchly ignored the door directly opposite. The TARDIS, it seemed, was determined that Rose be acutely aware of his bedroom. She'd never even seen it when she traveled with him before, and now it had a permanent residence across the hall. She tried not to linger on the implications.

"Wow, you liked pink," Amy remarked when she followed Rose into her room and Rose raised her eyebrow at her.

"I was nineteen. This was the height of luxury in my mind."

"So that's what it does? It makes you a room based on what you want in your mind?"

"She," Rose corrected. "She makes you a room based on whatever you want. Presuming that you know what you want. It takes a bit of concentration to get it right the first time. I ended up with a mix between a four year old princess bedroom and modern penthouse suite my first time." Amy looked around the room appraisingly, and grinned at her.

"So you kept the first try?" Rose stuck her tongue out at her.

"Shut up. The bathroom's through that door. I think she's kept all of my clothes, so grab whatever'll fit for jim jams." She glanced down at Amy's extra-long legs and back up to her face, several inches above hers. "Maybe try some soft shorts instead of pants. Pretty sure they'd be capris on you."

Amy made a face at her, but went through the door anyways. Rose peeled off her backpack and sat it in the large wingback chair in the corner and started to unzip her jacket as the spray of the water started behind the closed door. She smiled softly and looked around the room. Nostalgia washed over her in waves. This room had some of her happiest memories attached to it. Sure, there was more than its fair share of heartbreak as well, but there was also pure joy seeping from the walls.

She pulled her jacket off and tossed it over her backpack. She toed off her boots and socks before walking to the bedside table, toes sinking into the softness of the plush carpet. She sat gently on the bed next to it and reverently began to remove her talismans.

Earring studs first. They had discolored over the years and lost that sheen of new jewelry, but Rose wore them every day none the less. She'd given up hope of returning them long ago. Somewhere along the way, they had turned into a reminder of her mum, a way to hold her close, the only thing she had of her.

Next she carefully unclasped her vortex manipulator and sat it down on the table next to the earrings. She turned it so it could face the bed. It was sheer force of habit by now. She no longer woke in cold sweat to frantically check for incoming messages, prompting by nightmares and haunting dreams so real it made her weep with anguish. She no longer feared it jumping back on its own. She no longer prayed to it to take her home. She faced it towards the bed because that's what she had done every night for twelve years and she would probably do it for another twelve. Rose Tyler had become nothing if not a creature of habit.

Her hand went to the TARDIS vial on her chest, hidden below her shirt. She fingered the chain gently, absently, staring off with unseeing eyes. The bathroom door opened loudly and Rose jumped at the sound, pulling her from her trance.

"You're up!" Amy called, scrubbing her head vigorously with a fluffy white towel. She was wearing a large pink sleep shirt that fell mid-thigh, sporting a large kitten playing with a ball of yarn. It fell past Rose's knees when she wore it.

"And do you own anything that isn't pink in here? Because I don't have to tell you that pink is not my color." Amy swept her hand down her front to illustrate and Rose grinned at her.

"I told you, it was a phase. If you don't like it you can try to find the wardrobe room. If the TARDIS will let you." She grinned at her mischievously, tongue between teeth. Amy narrowed her eyes back at her.

"Good luck with your shower. Pretty sure I used up all the hot water." Rose just stood and walked past her into the bathroom, laughing.

"Great thing about the TARDIS. No such thing!" she crowed and slammed the door on Amy. After a moment she stuck her head back out of it, and eyed her seriously. "When I get out of here, you and I are going to have a little chat, yeah? About that thing that you haven't told me?"

She closed the door again as Amy's face was stricken with fear and started to strip out of her clothes. She turned on the water and smiled at the steaming liquid pouring out of the rain shower head. Never out of hot water. Best thing about the TARDIS. She took a moment to survey the room. White marble floors and white cabinets with black granite countertops. Dual sinks. That was new. Must be for Amy. The giant glass waterfall shower was exactly how she remembered it, with a river stone floor that pushed into the soles of her feet in just the right way. Her claw footed deep soaker tub was still under the gorgeously large window swirling with colors of the Vortex. The door to her closets was ajar and she could see a few items of clothing littering the floor. She rolled her eyes. Amy.

She paused to carefully remove the TARDIS vial and hesitated before setting it on the counter gently, and gasped at the flare of heat that surged suddenly into her mind. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and tried to keep the flood of golden heat from overpowering her. She missed the bright flash of light the vial was suddenly engulfed in. Then, as soon as the energy came, it dissipated. Disoriented, Rose opened her eyes to gaze at the vial. It looked the same as ever. Cautiously, she reached out her mind to brush the TARDIS's consciousness and felt the apologetic graze back. She pulled back before she could feel the distinctly different and familiar mental signature reach out towards hers. She didn't notice the other mind reaching out towards hers.

She shook her head to clear it slightly and stepped into the glass shower, ready to relish the feeling of clean that only the combination of being truly dirty and the TARDIS shower could bring.

* * *

Across the ship, the Doctor's hands went to his head as he felt a surge of golden energy. It was enough to throw him back into the jump seat and he quickly took the offensive and pushed his mind through the golden heat to find the source. The TARDIS guided him to the moment that the TARDIS dust collided with herself for the first time and replayed it on a loop in his mind. He delved deeper, past the feeling and abruptly pulled back when he brushed up against Rose's mental signature.

He gasped at the aching familiarity of it, the immediate relief of feeling another mind touching his. She was so wrapped up in the surge of gold through her mind that she didn't feel him. He could tell she didn't recognize him, or anything else for that matter. A small part of him recognized this should be impossible, but he ignored it in favor of the pure bliss coursing through his body.

He felt her slowly pull herself out of the feeling, gain control over herself again. He instinctively reached out for her again, desperate to latch onto her mind, to hold onto the feeling, but she didn't recognize him and he fell away as she pulled herself back to consciousness.

* * *

When Rose left the bathroom, she felt like herself again, in the oddest of ways. The combination of cleanliness and old clothes in a familiar setting was unsettling, but wholly comforting. She'd chosen a pair of soft pajama shorts and an originally formal, but currently well-worn button down shirt that was too big for her. She couldn't remember where it came from or why she had it, but it felt right. It almost covered the edges of her shorts, but she felt better knowing the extra coverage was there.

Amy was curled up on the bed, under the covers, breathing softly. Rose sat down next to her on the bed and watched her face for signs of faking. She placed a soft hand on her cheek and smiled when Amy snuffled into it. She pushed some hair back from her forehead and kissed it like she had hundreds of times before. Whatever she needed to tell her could wait. Today had been exhausting for everyone, but no one more than her. She saved the day. She deserved her sleep.

She stood softly and made her way to the bedroom door and eased her way out of it, turning off the lights as she left. She heard Amy roll over in her sleep as the door clicked shut, but she didn't wake. She glanced up at the ceiling.

"All right, kitchen. And it's late, so please don't make me wander the whole place."

The TARDIS acquiesced and she saw the opening to the kitchen after just one turn. She sighed in relief and hurried to the opening. Tea sounded so good right about now. And maybe a yogurt cup. Or a muffin. Or-

As she spun around the corner she froze. The Doctor was sitting in the booth, a cup of tea half way to his mouth a book in the other hand. He had frozen when she came in as well, hand midair, eyes riveted on her. Their faces were mirrors of shock. His gave way to amusement as hers gave way to embarrassment. She fingered the edges of the shirt she was wearing, keenly aware of how she must look. Damp hair wetting the shoulders of an old dress shirt and just a peak of pink PJ shorts at the bottom. She felt the heat of her cheeks flare and took a step backwards.

"I'll just-"she stammered.

"No, no. It's fine. Really. I can-"he answered, just as flustered.

"No, you were here first. Really-"

"I insist." He sat his tea and book down and straightened his bow tie absently, feeling the tinge of flush beginning in his new cheeks. Did this body blush? What a time to learn _that_. "I made more than enough tea."

Rose took a careful step forward into the kitchen and watched his eyes dart around to find something else to look at other than her. She cleared her throat.

"I was getting ready for bed."

"I can see that," he coughed and jumped up from his spot to fix her a cup. He needed something to keep his hands busy, something to look at other than those legs. His eyes, which had started to linger darted back to the task at hand.

Rose used the brief moment his back was turned to slide quickly into the booth and tuck her legs under the table. She could do this. If they were going to keep traveling with him than she would have to get used to this. Bumping into him in the TARDIS somewhere unexpected. In various stages of undress. While Amy was asleep in her room.

The Doctor sat a mug down in front of her and grinned goofily, gesturing towards it proudly. She glanced down at the contents and snorted. His face clouded with hurt.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Doctor. This is just hot water. You forgot the tea part of the tea." He felt his face tinge with color again and hastily swiped it away before returning it to her, contents now a reassuring dark brown. He sat opposite of her and watched expectantly as she took a careful sip. He raised his eyebrows expectantly.

"Well?"

"Very nice," she assured him and laughed as his face lit up. He sat down across from her as she wrapped her hands around her own mug contentedly. They could do this. She could feel herself falling into a comfortable rhythm with him again. Banter and smiles. Nothing more. Things were easier then. They may have been frustrating, but they were effortless.

"How is Amy?"

"She's asleep. Passed out. I managed to get her to take a shower first, at least," she grinned at him over her mug. "She'll stay in my room with me for now." She watched him swallow thickly.

"So you found your room again, did you?" She nodded.

"Yeah. Just like I left it. Covers mussed and everything." She colored at the last words, her mind dragging her back to the scent on her pillow and she glanced down at her cup quickly. She wondered if he knew his scent was still on those pillows. She hadn't been close enough to notice if he still smelled the same. Yet. She pushed that thought away sternly and took another sip of her tea.

He was watching her face, watching the emotions flit through her face. She had become hard for him to identify. He had been able to read her like a book, but now. It'd been years for her, he reminded himself. Seventeen years without him. But how many years without _him_?

"Rose, you said it's been seventeen years since I- well since I left- or left you I should say-" Her eyes cut up to him, her demeanor change mercurial and swift.

"Get to the point, Doctor," she said softly. She tried to keep the edge from her voice. They would never make this work if she couldn't handle her emotions around him. It was years ago after all. She watched him snap his mouth shut at her words and softened. "I'm not trying to be harsh. I know this isn't exactly easy, for either of us. Just…ask me what you want to know. I can't promise I will answer everything. But what I do answer I will answer truthfully."

"Do you have any questions for me? We could switch off like-"

"No." He blinked at her abrupt answer and fiddled with his mug. Maybe he should have let it go. He didn't really have the right to know, but in these quiet moments with her he burned for the answers. Questions consumed his mind and he knew he wouldn't have any rest until he had the answers.

"Ok then. Well, then. I suppose," he floundered around before stilling and sitting back in his seat calmly. "Where is he, Rose?"

He heard a soft intake of breath at his question, but he pressed on gently. He had to know. This was important.

"The metacrisis, the half-human me. I dropped you both off on that beach and you seemed to hit it off splendidly." He tried to keep the bitter note out of his voice as the image of them kissing swam to the forefront of his mind. "So where is he?"

"His name is John."

Rose's answer was soft, pained. She was staring at the mug, her hands clasped around it, the edges of her fingers going white with the pressure she was putting on it.

"He's in the other universe. He's trapped there like I was. I don't know if he's alive or happy or working, or anything. I know nothing. Because he's never come for me. He's never sent me a message or sign. And I've never found another crack. I have no idea what he's doing there, but he's never come for me. And I've never found my way back to him."

Her voice broke at the end, but she kept her eyes trained on the mug. It was a safe place to look. The pain in her voice broke his hearts a little more. She had loved him. Did love him. That was so blatantly obvious that he couldn't stamp down the surge of green jealousy he felt course through his veins. The image of their kiss pressed itself to the front of his thoughts again.

"Do you wish you had?" he asked softly. She shrugged hopelessly, eyes still on the mug.

"I don't even know anymore. I had five years with him. We had a life there. And then I made a life here with Amy after I was sucked through. I've had twelve years with her. More than double what I had with him. By time, I should say no. If time was the only judge, I would never see him again. I would stay here in this universe with Amy."

She risked a glance up at him and found him watching her intently. She found she couldn't look away. That's why she hadn't looked up before now. Looking into his eyes was always a dangerous prospect. His face may have changed, but those aching ageless eyes were always the same.

"I swore to myself that if I ever found a way back, I would take it. Jump on it in a heartbeat. But then Amy turned twelve, and then sixteen, and then eighteen. I started to see that universe as going back, and not home. I've spent years with her, raising her. Maybe now that she's an adult I could leave again, but now I'm not so sure. He might not even want me anymore."

Her heart ached at the truth of it. That's what scared her the most. She wasn't sure if she would ever go back, even if given the choice, but that was because of Amy and Rory and the life she'd made here despite it all. Not because she didn't want him. It would never be because she didn't want him. But what if he didn't want her? What if he thought she had abandoned him? That feeling opened up such a deep ache of abandonment that hadn't left since he had sent her away the very first time on Satellite Five. The Doctor smiled sadly at her, his harsh eyes softening as she spoke. How could she not know?

"Rose Tyler, if there is one thing I know about myself, it's that I will always want you."

She bit her lip and broke his gaze, looking down at her mug again. She wasn't sure if it was time or his new body, but this him kept doing that. Dropping these sincere, heart wrenching statements that cut her to the core and caused warmth to pool in her belly. She wasn't sure what it meant, but she hadn't felt anything close to it in over a decade. And that terrified her.

She stood quickly and he stood with her. Her eyes darted around resting on anything other than his face. She was struck again by the height of him.

"It's late. I'm going to go to bed."

"Yeah. Humans and their sleep. Got it," he answered and bounced on his heels as she fled the room, hands tugging at the end of the button down shirt she was wearing. He watched her leave, grinning smugly. She may not remember it. It had been too long for her. But he remembered it. And that was most definitely his shirt.

* * *

Thanks so much for reading! The updates will start getting a little slow now because I have school starting up, but I have no plans to abandon this story! I have lots of exciting things planned!

Drop me a review if you are so inclined! It keeps me motivated and I love hearing from you!


	6. Victory of the Daleks: Part One

_Rose snuck a glance over the cards in her hands at her opponents. Affecting an air of nonchalance, she pulled two cards from her hands and sat them face down on the growing pile._

" _Two 8s."_

 _No one called her on it and she internally breathed a sigh of relief as Amy to her left studied her cards. She selected one and put it down._

" _One 9."_

 _Rose sat her cards face down on the coffee table and sat back from her legs crossed position, hands digging into the soft rug she was sitting on. Amy, Mels, and Rory had claimed all of the pillows. She should've demanded one by right, seeing as how they were all starting to grow taller than her, but it was a long habit now and she didn't see the point in breaking it. Plus by now, her bum was more used to the carpet than a pillow. Mels pulled three cards from her hand to add to the pile._

" _Three 10s."_

 _Rory glanced at her a little nervously and hesitantly pulled two cards from his hand to add to the pile._

" _Two jacks."_

" _Bullshit!" Mels cried and snorted at his frustrated face._

" _Mels, stop it!" he whined and she pulled the top two cards off the pile and turned them over to reveal a king and a seven._

" _Take 'em all!" she cackled and Amy helped her shove the pile of cards in Rory's direction. He picked them all up into his hand and began to sort them in resignation. He hated this game. Correction: he hated that he always lost this game. Rose rolled her eyes at them and pulled one card from her hand to start a new pile._

" _One queen. Mels, one day you're going to call him on it and you are gonna be so wrong," Rose quipped. Mels sniffed and looked down her nose at her, affecting a posh accent._

" _You, madam, know nothing. I am the queen of this game." She broke character and smirked across the coffee table at Rose. "I can always tell when someone is lying."_

" _Two kings," Amy said and put down two cards._

" _One ace," Mels added._

" _But how do you always know when I'm lying?" Rory whined and pulled four cards from his hand. "Four 2s," he mumbled and the girls all giggled. No one called him on it. Judging by the amount of cards he'd had to pull up, he actually had four 2s._

" _You always do this thing where you lick your lips before setting the cards down. It's your tell," Mels shrugged._

" _One three." Rose raised an eyebrow at Mels' observation. She'd noticed that about Rory years ago. He was always bad at bluffing games. He was too sweet natured and nervous for them. But just because Rose had years of expert training on interrogation didn't mean that she'd use it when playing a children's game. Especially when playing against children._

 _Or in this case, not a children's game. And not children. Bullshit had become Amy and Mel's favorite game after they picked it up the first week of high school. Fourteen and giggling over the lies and thrill, but mostly the allowed use of expletives. Rory detested it but, as he always had been, was game for anything that included Amy._

 _Rose just enjoyed that she was still included in their little group. They were getting older and this was generally when kids stopped wanting to interact with their guardians, but they didn't show signs of getting sick of her. Whenever Mels spotted her, in fact, she made a point of trying to rope Rose into their conversation, whether Amy wanted her to or not. Mels had a wide cheeky streak, and was inquisitive to the point of nosy when it came to questions about Rose's life._

" _Rose, it's your turn," Amy whispered and nudged her arm gently. Rose glanced around the table at the three teenage faces staring at her. They'd kept playing while she was lost in thought._

" _Sorry. What are we on?"_

" _Sevens," Amy answered, rolling her eyes but Mels smirked at her._

" _Thinking about a boy Auntie Rose?" Mels asked, raising an eyebrow. Rose, who had been in the middle of setting down her two 'sevens' in the pile, flinched at her question. Amy glared at Mels quickly and Rory just looked between them all nervously. Amy whacked Mels on the arm with her cards._

" _We don't ask Rose those sorts of questions," she hissed at her and shot Rose an apologetic look. Mels seemed unperturbed._

" _Why? She's young and hot. She could have a guy in her life. You don't know." Rory cleared his throat nervously._

" _Umm…" he started, but the girls ignored him._

" _I think I would know if Rose had a man in her life. I live here," Amy responded sarcastically and Rose snorted through her nose involuntarily. When the two girls turned to glare at her she laughed._

" _Sorry. It's just that…well…Amy you didn't think I knew about you and Jeff. Umm, hello. I think between the two of us, I could hide a guy better than you!" Amy narrowed her eyes at her as Mels cackled. Rory's face fell._

" _You said you two are just friends!" he whined and Amy blushed furiously._

" _We are just friends."_

" _Friends who give each other tonsillectomies," Mels muttered, earning her another card-arm smack from an even redder Amy. Rose just laughed, game forgotten, hand over her mouth. Rory frowned deeply and stood up abruptly._

" _I don't need this right now. I'm going home. And Rose, bullshit!" He stalked out of the room, and Amy started to call out to him, but he was already out the front door in a huff. Rose felt a twinge of guilt at bringing up Jeff, who was a sore point for him, but she'd latch onto anything that could steer the conversation away from her love(less) life. And besides, Mels had been the one to bring up them kissing, not her. She shouldn't feel guilty about it. Amy didn't appear to agree and seemed to blame both her and Mels in equal measure._

" _Well, that was rude. You both ran him off! Now he won't speak to me for a week!" Mels rolled her eyes._

" _Oh, please. He'll speak to you tomorrow on the walk to school."_

" _It's an expression. Obviously, I don't mean it literally," she answered, exasperated. Rose sat her cards down on the table._

" _Well, I think we should just call it that I lost, since I was called bullshit on last. Do you ladies want me to order pizza, or cook? Or I could just give you two some money to run into town and grab dinner for yourselves? I still have some leftovers I think…"_

 _She started mentally cataloging what was in their fridge as she spoke. Amy perked up at the mention of dinner for her and Mels alone in town, but just as she was about to choose that option, Mels spoke over her._

" _You should order pizza, Auntie Rose. That sounds good," She smiled so sweetly at her that Rose raised her eyebrow suspiciously at her. Instead of commenting, she just nodded at them and left the room to call the pizza place._

" _Why'd you choose pizza? We could've gone into town to grab something and kept the change," Amy hissed at her but Mels just smirked. The girls threw their cards on the table and scrambled up and into the kitchen. Amy took the chair at the end of the table and Mels pulled her legs up under her in her own chair. Rose clicked off the phone and turned to them._

" _Fifteen minutes on pizza, ladies."_

" _Oh good. Then you can spend that fifteen minutes telling us about the guy in your life," Mels deadpanned. Rose gaped at her._

" _I do not have a guy in my life."_

" _You said you could hide a guy better than Amy. And you didn't deny it earlier," she shrugged and Rose glanced around the room nervously, instinctively looking for an escape route. Amy came to her rescue._

" _Rose doesn't date, Mels. I tried to set her up with our teacher in the fifth grade, but it was a no go. And if he didn't work, than nothing will," she said, grinning at Mels wolfishly. Mels returned it._

" _Oh, Mr. McDonald? He was a looker."_

" _Yes he was. And if he wasn't enough to tempt her, then she's a lost cause." Mels leaned forward and studied Rose dispassionately. Rose could feel herself turning into a case study._

" _Not necessarily. Maybe she already had someone in her life," she stated mechanically, eyes never leaving Rose's face. She was dissecting and cataloguing her facial ques. Rose could tell by the ways her eyes flickered over each of the facial expression zones in a clockwise pattern._

" _Or did at one point. Maybe that man was too special for anyone to come after him?" She raised an eyebrow at Rose as her voice raised in question._

" _I'm right, aren't I? There was someone in your life."_

" _There's always someone in everyone's life," Rose answered smoothly and turned to a cabinet to pull out some plates. She could really use the pizza arriving as a distraction right about now. Mels wasn't deterred._

" _He was special, though, wasn't he? Irreplaceable?" Rose turned and sat the plates on the table, smiling to herself softly._

" _Not quite," she whispered, mind going back to the two of them, saving the world together for that one shining moment in time. With Donna. Before everything went pear shaped, as he would say. Before one of them had left. Before one of them had stayed._

 _Amy watched her face and turned to Mels in hesitation. Rose always got this sad faraway look in her eyes when she spoke of the past. It was always the same look. It used to have more pain and less acceptance, but slowly the tables had turned._

" _Maybe we shouldn't press it, Mels," she whispered and Mels sat back in the chair, abandoning her scrutiny of Rose's face._

" _Oh, fine. The pizza's here anyways," she smirked._

" _No it's not," Amy started, but was interrupted by a knock at the door. Rose and Amy exchanged significant looks as Mels shot them a wink and left to answer the door. She returned with pizza box in hand. Instead of setting it down on the table she held it one handed, hand on her hip. Holding it hostage. She stared down Rose and ignored Amy's pleading look._

" _Just answer me this: was he worth it?" Rose smiled softly to herself, thinking of both of the men in her life. The same man, at least at the start. Two branches on the same tree. Her hand absently went to the chain on her neck and started fiddling with it while she considered her answer. Mels watched her face like a hawk._

 _Was he worth it? Either of them? This abandonment and pain and loneliness? For a few years with the Doctor and five with John. Now seven years alone without either of them, raising Amy. Would she take it all back? If she were given a chance, that is._

 _Was he worth it?_

" _Yes," she answered softly and lowered her eyes at her next thought._ They were.

* * *

Rose opened her eyes groggily and was momentarily confused by her surroundings. She blinked a few more times as the room focused, as realization slowly entered her sleepy mind. She was in the TARDIS. In her old room. In her old clothes. With Amy cuddling with her as the oppressive bigger spoon.

She tugged at Amy's arm around her middle experimentally, but Amy just squeezed her tighter and snored into her shoulder. They'd shared a bed more than once while she was growing up and always woke cuddling. But when Amy gained four inches on her, Rose's role went from one who cuddles to one who is cuddled. Like a stuffed animal. She straightened out her body like a plank and waited to see if Amy would roll away from her now that she was inconvenient. Sometimes that worked.

Amy protested sleepily and loosened her grip on Rose enough for her to slip out of her grasp. She sat up and looked down at Amy. Her hair was mussed and her face was lined with pillow marks from sleeping, but she looked rested and happy. Content. How long had it been since Rose had seen her sleep like that?

Rose smiled to herself and swung her legs off the bed to scrunch her toes into the plush carpeting. Amy stirred behind her as she stood and rubbed her eyes exaggeratedly.

"What time is it?" Rose snorted at her as Amy stretched and attempted to open her eyes.

"Time for you to get up. That's about all I can tell you." Amy sat up and looked around the room sleepily. After a few moments, it seemed to dawn on her where she was and her eyes snapped open.

"I'm on his spaceship! In his time machine! Sleeping!" she squeaked and Rose grinned at her.

"Hence why I can't tell you the time. It's every time in here." Amy looked over at her and cocked her head, quizzically.

"What are you wearing?" Rose looked down at herself and felt heat creep into her cheeks at the memory associated. He'd seen her like this last night. Unintentionally, of course, but still.

"Umm, just some of my old clothes I left in the TARDIS?" Rose tried and Amy narrowed her eyes at her.

"That looks like a bloke's shirt. Why are you sleeping in a bloke's shirt?" Rose colored deeper and Amy raised her eyebrow at her. "Oh, don't know, do ya?"

"Shut up. Of course I know. It's just some old jim jams I left in here from when I traveled with the Doctor last." Rose fiddled with the end of the shirt, tugging it down self-consciously. Just as she had last night. Amy nodded knowingly at her and crawled out of the bed.

"Of course. I'm sure. Traveled with him. Alone. Got it." Rose proceeded to chuck a pillow at her, which Amy caught deftly and leered at her over the top.

"Did he see you when you left the room last night that way?" Rose's jaw dropped.

"You were asleep!"

"Nope! Faking!" Amy crowed and Rose resisted the urge to throw another pillow her way.

"If you must know, I was going to the kitchen to get a snack last night," Rose huffed.

"Didn't answer my question. Did he see you in that?" Rose felt her blush deepen and it was Amy's turn to drop her jaw.

"Oh my god. He did, didn't he? What did he do? What did you say?" Rose shook her head and made a quick dash for the bathroom.

"No. I am not talking with you about this." Amy reached the door before her and blocked her way, smirking evilly down at her.

"Tell me!" she demanded excitedly and Rose's eyes darted around the room nervously.

"He didn't say anything. He made me tea and we had a chat and I left. That's it."

"That is most certainly not it! He's mad for you! And he got to see you like that! In what is probably his shirt!"

Rose opened her mouth to answer that it most certainly was not his shirt, but then closed it concerned. It might be his shirt. It looked like the shirts he used to enjoy wearing. Dark blue Oxford, previously crisp and new- now a little wrinkled and bedraggled. In fact, it was rather likely it was his. Did she wear his shirt to sleep in last night? Oh god, did he know it was his shirt? Did he recognize it last night?

If she hadn't already been as red as she was, she knew she would've colored further. Amy just nodded knowingly and moved out of Rose's way to the bathroom.

"That's what I thought."

* * *

When Rose and Amy left the bedroom, they were both ready for the day. Rose hadn't been able to find her black jump gear since she'd shed it the night before. She remembered that the TARDIS seemed to steal dirty clothing and returned it clean and folded last time she was here, and she supposed that the clothing she'd had qualified as filthy. Since it had Star Whale sick all over it. Amy hadn't been able to find her nightgown either, but she hadn't exactly wanted to, so who knew?

Rose had chosen a pair of tight pale jeans with the only pair of tennis shoes that she'd been able to find- bright pink. She'd been pleasantly surprised that the jeans still fit, but she hadn't really changed sizes since the last time she was on board the TARDIS. Maybe hardened up, but not gained or lost anything. Her top was a dark plum jumper, plunging scoop neckline of course. Her younger self apparently didn't bring anything on the TARDIS that wasn't designed to seduce or draw attention. Whose attention she wanted had been obvious, at least to her, but she wasn't thinking about that. She'd cursed the earlier version of herself for not owning anything practical, and made a mental note to grab some better items when they returned to their house. Something that wasn't pink and allowed for better movement.

Amy had been forced to choose something out of Rose's wardrobe to wear. Owning to height, if not size, differences, she had chosen a grey skirt and a red tank. She'd stolen Rose's black leather jacket before she'd had a chance to snag it, as well and some cowboy boots that Rose had no idea she'd even owned. Overall, the effect was nice and all together Amy. It didn't look tossed together hastily, but intentional.

Rose started towards the control room, Amy tagging along behind her. She mentally wished that the walk would take a bit of time and the TARDIS obliged her graciously. After the second turn, Rose broached the subject she'd been dying to tackle since Starship UK.

"So about that thing you're keeping from me?" Amy's step faltered momentarily, but she kept her pace.

"I thought you'd forgotten about that."

"I'm not going to forget about something you needed to tell me, no matter how hard you and the Doctor have tried to change the subject," Rose snorted and Amy side-eyed her guiltily.

"Well, it's big, so don't freak out, yeah?" Rose rolled her eyes and stopped walking, grabbing Amy's hand to still her as well. Thankfully, the hallway they were in was devoid of doors or distractions. She raised her eyebrows at Amy, and squeezed her hand.

"When have I ever freaked out? I'll be calm, I promise," she said, smiling up at her and Amy bit her lip.

"So you were gone for two years," she started and Rose nodded, fighting the urge to wince at the sharp sting of guilt in her chest.

"Yeah, go on."

"Well, that means I'm 21 now…" Rose blinked at her, a little taken aback.

"I hadn't thought about that actually."

"Yeah. So. Since I'm 21…and it's been two years…some things have happened. Adult things." Rose blanched.

"You aren't a mum, right?" Amy snorted derisively.

"No, no! Nothing like that!" Rose let out a sigh in relief and laughed breathily.

"Oh, thank god. Well then, what other adult things have happened? You aren't married right?" she laughed at the absurdity of it. Amy getting married? No way.

Amy was silent. Rose stared at her, smile faltering and felt her eyes grow wide. "You aren't, right?"

"Well…not yet?" Amy tried, and Rose gaped at her.

"What?" she cried and Amy jumped back in shock. "You are engaged?! To who? When? Have you started planning it yet? When is the wedding?"

"Yes. Rory. Last year. Yes, and tomorrow," she answered, ticking them off on her fingers. Rose felt her stomach knot up as Amy answered her questions in succession. Amy was engaged, to Rory no less, and she had missed it. All of it. She had missed the engagement, the planning, all of the showers and parties and pictures. She had failed as a guardian. It was her job to be there for Amy during all the most important moments. She probably wasn't even expected at the wedding if it was…

"Wait, did you say tomorrow?" Amy nodded at her warily, expecting another outburst. Instead, Rose took both of her hands gently and stared up at her seriously.

"Amy, are you afraid to get married? Is that why you ran away with him, because it's tomorrow? You don't have to be ready yet, no one would ask that of you. But it's not fair to Rory." Amy looked at her feet and shrugged halfheartedly.

"I don't know. It's scary. Being an adult. And you don't get it. When you left, I had to grow up and be an adult alone. Getting married made sense, but now you're here and the Doctor's here and I don't know if I'm ready now. I tried to be a grown up, I really really did, but I don't think I'm ready."

Rose pulled her into a hug and blinked back the tears welling in the corner of her eye. She hated that Amy had been left alone through all of this. She'd had to grow up alone, and Rose couldn't fight back the guilt that threatened to overwhelm her.

"I am so sorry that I wasn't there. I should've been. And you don't have to be ready, love." She pulled back to look at her. "That's the beauty of the TARDIS. You can run away as long as you like. Just look at the Doctor."

Amy gave her a watery smile, and Rose could see her fighting back tears that mirrored her own. She squeezed her hands.

"The important thing is that you know this isn't permanent, yeah? I will run with you for as long as you need, of course I will. I'll always run with you. But this can't be permanent. At some point you have to go back, and face life, and Rory. We can run until you decide what you want to do, but then we will _both_ go back and face this. Together."

She reached up and placed her hands on either side of Amy's face and pulled it down to touch foreheads. They closed their eyes at the same time and Rose could feel Amy withdraw into herself to her library pool and sighed at the still that befell them both. Amy could feel some of the weight begin to lift off herself that had settled in over the last two years. Rose's presence was a balm to her anxiety and she revealed in the golden return of the feeling. She'd missed it so.

"Thank you Rose," she whispered and Rose smiled softly, eyes still closed.

"Of course. Love you," she answered and pulled back to kiss her on the forehead. Amy grinned and straightened up.

"Shut up. Love you too." She nudged her in the arm, and they started off again to find the control room and the Doctor.

* * *

"Finally! I've been waiting for ages," the Doctor whined when they entered the room. He was pulling some levers on the console when they had entered, but had looked up to frown deeply when he noticed them. He leaned back against the console as he spoke, hands flapping indiscriminately.

"Not literally, mind you. Although it could be literal, depending on how you look at it. Point is, you humans require far too much sleep," he huffed and crossed his arms. Rose raised an eyebrow at him, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. He still had a gob on him in this body. Probably always would, if his previous two bodies were anything to go on. Amy descended the stairs to his level, frowning at him.

"What, and you don't sleep?" she scoffed and blanched at his nod. "Ever?"

"He does sleep. He just doesn't like to admit it. He thinks it makes him look vulnerable and sweet," Rose offered and followed Amy down the stairs. The Doctor shot her a frown, but she just grinned at him, tongue in teeth. He softened a bit at that, but kept up his annoyed front.

"I am not sweet," he said haughtily and Rose and Amy both snorted in disbelief. "What? I'm not. I am many things, many many things. Some of which aren't polite to mention in mixed company, but none of those things are _sweet_."

"Whatever you say," Amy replied loftily and she and Rose exchanged significant looks. He looked between the two of them and loudly clapped his hands together, bouncing on his heels. Subject change.

"So. What do you say we try out World War II London? Pop in and see Winston? It sounded rather urgent, but you never can tell with him. He's an urgent kind of man."

Amy grinned widely and Rose smiled over at her. Amy nodded vigorously and the Doctor grinned and pulled a lever on the left of the typewriter. Dimly, the wheezing noise of the TARDIS dematerializing could be heard from the outside. Amy looked over at the door and back at the Doctor.

"So we're really here? Back in time?"

"Why don't we find out?" He rushed to the door and shot a wink back at Rose before opening it and sliding out, carefully. Amy ran to follow him with Rose trailing behind. When she exited the TARDIS last, she started to close the door behind her and jerked back a bit. Three soldiers were facing them, rifles raised and pointed at them. One for each of them. Rose's hand instinctively went for her stunner, and cursed mentally when she came up short. She'd left her backpack in her room on the TARDIS. That meant her sonic was there too. Only gear she had on was her vortex manipulator. She hadn't been this exposed in ages. It was an uncomfortable feeling.

The men parted slightly and a large portly man in a suit walked forward, puffing on a cigar and peering at them over his spectacles. He was undeniable. The Doctor held out a hand towards him cheerfully.

"Amy, Rose? Winston Churchill," he proclaimed and Winston smiled.

"Doctor. Is it you?" The Doctor reached out to shake his hand, but instead Winston held his out expectantly. The Doctor just smirked at him.

"Ah, every time," he chortled and Amy looked between them, not able to quite believe her eyes. Rose kept a firm grip on the TARDIS door behind her, but eased slightly at the Doctor's demeanor.

"TARDIS key, of course," the Doctor answered Amy, and Rose could hear the tiniest bit of steel beneath his cheery tone. He was sensitive to the slightest indication that anyone would take his TARDIS from him. Always had been.

"Think of what I could achieve with your remarkable machine, Doctor. The lives that could be saved," Churchill persuaded but the Doctor just shook his head. Rose shut the door with a loud snap and the Doctor smirked back at her. Churchill looked around him at her, and frowned, having just noticed her for the first time.

"Doesn't work like that," Rose snapped and Churchill narrowed his eyes at her.

"Must I take it by force?" he asked, voice growing quiet. She mirrored his expression, voice equally steely.

"I'd like to see you try," she replied loftily and they two kept their eyes locked for a moment. Amy shifted nervously, but the Doctor just looked back at Churchill, eyes twinkling. Churchill broke eye contact and smiled at the Doctor pleasantly.

"At ease," he relented and the soldiers, shouldered their rifles. Rose relaxed imperceptibly and removed her hand from the TARDIS door.

"You rang?" the Doctor asked lightly. Above them, the ceiling shook as an explosion went off, disturbing a layer of dust, and sending it billowing into the air. Churchill looked up at the ceiling and left the room, motioning for them to follow him. The Doctor followed him out, Amy tagging along quickly. Rose eyed the soldiers, still parted with their rifles shouldered.

"Just a mo," she said, holding out one finger to the stoic men, and stepped back into the TARDIS quickly. On the coat rack next to the entrance, her black bag was hanging and packed. She looked up at the console and winked, before strapping it on and exiting the TARDIS. They blinked at her, but didn't betray any other form of astonishment. She grinned at them, tongue in teeth, before taking off out of the room after the others.

"So you've changed your face again," Churchill was inquiring as she found them walking briskly down a hallway. The men didn't notice her join their pace behind them, but Amy shot her a quick questioning look before returning her attention to their surroundings.

"Yeah, well. Had a bit of work done," the Doctor mused, running a hand over his boyishly smooth face. Rose snickered behind him and he glanced back at her quickly. Amy didn't notice and clapped her hands together, excited.

"Got it, got it, got it! Cabinet War Rooms, right?" The Doctor switched his gaze from Rose to Amy and nodded appreciatively, slowing his pace to walk between the two women.

"Yep. Top secret heart of the War Office, right under London!" He waggled his eyebrows at Amy for effect, but Rose started backtracking in her mind.

"Hang on, what year is this? Because I've been in London during the blitz before with you. Am I here now? Another me?" Amy raised her eyebrows at her statement, and interrupted the Doctor before he had a chance to answer.

"He's taken you here before?" Rose nodded.

"You're late you know," Churchill interjected, ignoring the side conversation. There was a war on. There wasn't time for idle chit chat. He handed off his cane to the Doctor to punctuate his statement as a pretty young brunette hurried up to hand Churchill some papers and a pen.

"Requisitions, sir," she said, and Churchill began to sign.

"Excellent."

The Doctor studied his wrist watch frowning, but Rose pulled her jumper sleeve up to check her manipulator.

"Ooo, we are late," she said apologetically, causing the Doctor to move his frown from his watch to her.

"Late?"

"I rang you a month ago," Churchill stated and Rose nodded.

"Thirty-three days to be precise." She gestured at her wrist, which only caused the Doctor's frown to deepen. He really didn't like vortex manipulators.

"Really? Sorry, sorry. It's a Type Forty TARDIS. I'm just running her in," he apologized and rounded on Rose and the group came to a stop. Churchill was inquiring to the young woman about her mood.

"When are you going to stop wearing that thing?" he hissed and she narrowed her eyes up at him.

"When are you going to land us places on time?" she retorted and snorted as he indignantly straightened his bowtie.

"I land us perfectly, thank you very much." Rose rolled her eyes but didn't reply. A uniformed man took the woman's place as she left with the signed papers.

"Excuse me, sir. Got another formation coming in, Prime Minister. Stukas, by the look of them."

"We shall go up top then, Group Captain. We'll give them what for." Churchill turned and pulled his cane from under the Doctor's arm. "Coming, Doctor?"

"Why?" the Doctor asked mildly, but followed him none the less.

"I have something to show you." Churchill ushered the three of them into a metal lift and closed the gate. Churchill stared down the Doctor, puffing heavily on his cigar. Rose scrunched up her nose and the Doctor waved his hand in front of his face to clear some of the smoke. Amy leaned over to bury her face in Rose's shoulder to hide from the smoke. Rose absently patted the back of her head, eyes darting between the two men standing opposite each other. Churchill pulled his cigar from his mouth slowly as he began to speak.

"We stand at a crossroads, Doctor. Quite alone, with our backs to the wall. Invasion is expected daily. So I will grasp with both hands anything that will give us an advantage over the Nazi menace." The Doctor raised his eyebrows at him, but his tone was neutral.

"Such as?" The lift stopped and Churchill opened the metal grating to usher them out.

"Follow me." He pushed open a large red metal door leading onto a large rooftop. It was covered in sandbags and soldiers in full combat gear. The sky above them was filled with blimps and sirens could be heard wailing through the otherwise clear day. The air was full of tension and anticipation. A man in a white lab coat and helmet stood a level above them, staring at the sky through binoculars. Amy stared at the scene in awe, mouth open a little.

"Wow," she whispered and Rose took her hand and squeezed it, looking out over the landscape. Had it been night, she would've sworn it was the same night she'd met Jack all those years ago. Dancing during an air raid atop his ship parked next to Big Ben. Flirting. She missed Jack.

"Doctor, this is Professor Edwin Bracewell. Head of our Ironsides Project." Churchill pointed his cane towards the man in the lab coat, who waved happily down at them.

"How do you do?" he called, before turning back to the skies as men around them scrambled into positions, calling out orders and coordinates. The Doctor came to stand next to the two of them, surveying the smoking, wailing city. A bomb went off fairly close to them and Amy flinched. Rose and the Doctor just watched, wincing slightly. Rose squeezed her hand tighter.

"Oh Doctor. Rose. It's…it's…" Amy's words died in her throat as she struggled to find the right word.

"History," he supplied and Rose reached over to take his hand as well. She would be their link for the moment, grounding them all to this moment. Some parts of time were too immense. You could get carried off if you weren't careful.

"Ready Bracewell?" Churchill asked behind them.

"Aye aye, sir. On my order. Fire!" Several blue beams of light shot out of an area of roof obscured by sandbags. The planes on the horizon were shot down one by one with each mechanized blast. Rose hadn't flinched at the bomb earlier, but she jerked back violently at the noise, ripping her hands back to her chest to contain the golden rush of pain that flooded her. She knew that sound. She knew exactly what made that sound. The Doctor just stared at the sky in confusion and growing horror. Amy looked between them both, nervousness taking root in her stomach at their fear.

"What was that?"

"That wasn't human. That was never human technology. That sounded like…" He looked back at Rose. Their eyes met with mirrored horror and she watched as confusion drained away from his face. He ran to the other level and began to take the stairs two at a time towards Bracewell.

"Show me. Show me. Show me what that was!" he roared and Rose clutched her TARDIS vial for support tightly. She knew what this was. He knew what this was. He must have been holding onto some shred of hope that they were both wrong.

"Advance," Bracewell ordered proudly and the sound of mechanical wheels started whirring.

"Our new secret weapon," Churchill remarked as the noise grew louder and louder.

Slowly, a single Dalek rolled forward.

"What do you think? Quite something, eh?" Churchill continued, but they all ignored him.

It was painted in a military khaki, sporting a utility belt and a union jack, but a Dalek it was none the less. Rose took a few steps backward as it rolled into view, grabbing Amy's arm and pulling her back as well. She didn't reach for her stunner. She didn't reach for her sonic screwdriver. Nothing would work against that. She fought the urge to use her manipulator to get her and Amy out of there. The Doctor stepped up to it, and stared at it.

"What are you doing here?" he asked quietly.

"I am your soldier," the Dalek intoned.

"What?"

"I am your soldier," it repeated.

"Stop this. Stop now. " His voice grew deadly quiet and he took another step towards it.

"Now, you know who I am. You always know," he finished bitterly.

"Your identity is unknown," it answered and the Doctor turned away from it and pointed to Rose.

"What about her? Do you know her? You should," he hissed and the Dalek eyestalk swiveled to Rose, with Amy standing behind her. Rose faced it down, and cursed at the Doctor mentally for dragging her into this. Every instinct of hers screamed at her to get her and Amy out of there now.

"Her identity is unknown," it replied and the Doctor growled in frustration. Bracewell stepped between them, waving his hands soothingly.

"Perhaps I can clarify things here. This is one of my Ironsides."

"Your what?" the Doctor asked, incredulously. Bracewell ignored him in favor of a demonstration.

"You will help the Allied cause in any way that you can."

"Yes," the Dalek intoned.

"Until the Germans have been utterly smashed."

"Yes."

"And what is your ultimate aim?" Bracewell asked calmly and the Dalek's voice pitched in excitement.

"To win the war."

* * *

The Doctor slammed his hands on Churchill's desk, frustrated. Amy, who had been standing off to the side, reading a pamphlet, jumped at the sound and frowned at the Doctor. Rose paced behind him. Nervous, angry, and frustrated. Like the Doctor was.

"They're Daleks. They're called the Dalek's," he insisted again, and Churchill swelled, tired of his refusal to look at the facts.

"They are Bracewell's Ironsides, Doctor. Look. Blueprints, statistics, field tests, photographs. He invented them," he insisted, shuffling out diagrams and statistics littering his desk about them. Rose barked out a laugh harshly behind them. The Doctor shook his head angrily.

"Invented them? Oh no, no, no."

"Yes. He approached one of our brass hats a few months ago. Fellow's a genius," Churchill insisted and Amy leaned forward at that.

"A Scottish genius too. Maybe you should listen to-"

"Shush," the Doctor glared at her, and Amy snapped her mouth shut. She looked to Rose for backup, but Rose was still pacing anxiously behind them, eyes on the floor. The Doctor turned back to Churchill slowly and spoke his next words slowly so that they couldn't be misunderstood.

"He didn't invent them. They're alien." Churchill just stared at him.

"Alien," he repeated. A Dalek abruptly rolled past the open door, swiveling to gaze in before continuing. The Doctor didn't turn, but Rose flinched away from the door a few paces, hand instinctively grasping at the TARDIS vial beneath her jumper. The golden heat flared again in her mind at the sight. She bumped into the desk behind her next to the Doctor and gripped it with white knuckles. Gently, he reached over to grasp her hand and gave it a quick squeeze, glancing over at her quickly. She was staring at the retreating Dalek, but squeezed his hand back. Whether intentional or not, he would take what he could get. He looked back to Churchill, hand still resting on top of hers on the desk.

"And totally hostile," he reminded him, and felt a little of the anxiety leave Rose as the Dalek left their view. Churchill nodded, satisfied, as though he had made his point for him.

"Precisely. They will win me the war," he proclaimed and pointed at a poster sign on the wall. Cartoon propaganda of a Dalek. To Victory.

The Doctor kept a grip on Rose's hand as they followed Churchill down the hallway. She was still white as a sheet and clutching at something on her chest. He could feel her mind sending out wave after wave of harsh golden energy, like he had felt from her in the TARDIS the night before. It was pulsing stronger and he wouldn't risk her passing out or losing control of whatever was causing it. He would intervene in her mind if he had too, but he sincerely hoped it wouldn't come to that. He wasn't sure if Rose knew that he could sense her mind, and he wasn't going to divulge that if he could help it. Amy was keeping pace with them, oblivious to Rose's condition. Maybe that was for the best. The Doctor glared at the back of Churchill's waddling form.

"Why won't you listen to me? Why did you call me in if you won't listen to me?" he demanded, exasperated and unable to keep the tinge of fear out of his tone.

"When I rang you a month ago, I must admit I had my doubts. The Ironsides seemed too good to be true."

"Yes. Right. So destroy them. Exterminate them," he said bitterly, and ignored the concerned look Amy shot him. She shouldn't be concerned at his response. She should be on his side. She'd seen first-hand what the Daleks can do. All of Earth had.

"But imagine what I could do with a hundred. A thousand," Churchill insisted and a Dalek carrying a dispatch box rolled slowly towards them.

"I am imagining," he muttered, eyeing the Dalek.

Rose shied away from it and into the Doctor's side instinctively. He felt her mind pulse erratically at the sight of the approaching Dalek. He glanced down at her, and without pausing to think of the implications or ramifications of it, broke their grip and pulled her under his arm and close to him. She didn't pull away, and let him tuck her into his side as they walked past. He wasn't sure she was aware of what was happening enough to decide on if she was alright with this familiar of touch. He felt the energy in her mind settle at their increased proximity and felt her form ease as the Dalek passed by them.

Churchill turned off into the map room and the Doctor stopped slowly. Part of him expected Rose to detach herself and resume her safe distance, but she stayed where she was. It was like she was running on autopilot. He glanced down at her worriedly and then up to Amy. He didn't have time to convince Churchill, not with Rose reacting like this.

"Amy, tell him," her commanded and looked back down at Rose in concern. Amy was rubbing Rose's arm comfortingly.

"Tell him what?" she asked absentmindedly and placed her hands on Rose's face to try to get her to look at her. The Doctor tore his gaze from Rose to stare at Amy, wondering if he should be more concerned about her.

"About the Daleks," he responded slowly and allowed Amy to untuck Rose from his side to hug her. He ignored the dull ache at her removal. Amy just looked at him over Rose's head and scoffed.

"What would I know about the Daleks?" The Doctor blinked at her. He felt Rose's mind surge with the golden energy again and resisted the urge to scoop her up again.

"Everything. They invaded, your world, remember? Planets in the sky. You don't forget that," Amy just shook her head as Rose buried her face in Amy's shoulder. The Doctor felt fear started to well up in his gut, but he pushed it down.

"Amy, tell me you remember the Daleks," he pleaded and Amy shrugged around Rose's form. She wasn't grasping the brevity of the situation.

"No, sorry."

"That's not possible," he murmured and looked down at Rose curled into Amy. Her motioned for Amy to follow him and entered the map room. Skirting the panic and people in the center, he found a quieter corner with a chair and sat Rose down in it. Amy kept a hand on her shoulder, but was occupied with watching the action of the room.

The Doctor bent in front of it to watch Rose's face. She was gazing around the room, responding to the movement and interactions. She was aware of her surroundings, at least.

"Rose? Are you alright?" Her eyes flickered to his and he resisted the urge to pull back. Her eyes always had a whiskey color to them, a lighter brown, but her irises were ringed with the fated tinge of gold. She was conscious though, still distinctly Rose. A ghost of a smile flitted across her features.

"I'm always alright, Doctor." Her voice was a little distant, but answering him was something he would take. He balled his fist to keep it from reaching for her face. Cupping her cheek would be too familiar. He didn't think she would've even let him hold her as he had if she weren't in this state of perpetual fear.

And she was in fear, that much was clear. He could feel the anxiety rolling off her in waves and her mind was pulsing out a steadily increasing golden rhythm. The mental energy she was exuding was frightening him, but she was coherent, at least. He didn't need to enter her mind to feel the power there.

Rose blinked a few times, and shook her head slightly. When she met his gaze again, the golden glow had disappeared.

"Really. I'm fine, Doctor. Seeing the Dalek's gave me a bit of a turn, but I'm fine." She gave him a shaky grin and sat back in the chair. He could see her settling back into herself, pushing down and bottling up the golden surge in her mind in order to think clearly.

"Nothing we haven't dealt with before. Why are they here, though? I thought John- I thought they were all destroyed," she corrected quickly and the Doctor stood up and turned quickly to stare at a Dalek standing post across the room. They would both ignore the mention of him.

"They were. So, they're up to something. But what is it? What are they after?" Amy was watching the two of them, amused and a little lost. She perked up at his question.

"Well, let's just ask, shall we?" she said brightly and walked straight towards the Dalek. Rose stood quickly at her departure, but the Doctor held out his arm slightly in case she should head that way as well.

"Amy," she hissed after her. "Amelia!"

Amy paused next to the Dalek, unsure of how to interact with it. With a slight amount of hesitation, she rapped its side quickly, as though knocking on a door and took a step back as it swiveled its eye stalk towards her. She blanched when it spoke.

"Can I be of assistance?" it droned.

"Oh. Yes, yes. See, my friends over there reckon you're dangerous. That you're an alien. Is it true?"

"I am your soldier," it responded and Amy crossed her arms at the answer. She needed more than that. Rose shifted her weight nervously, seeing Amy that close to a Dalek. The Doctor was staring the Dalek down, gears churning in his mind.

"Yeah. Got that bit. Love a squaddie. What else, though?" Amy probed and the Dalek turned away from her abruptly.

"Please excuse me. I have duties to perform." The Doctor scrubbed his hand down his face in visible frustration and walked over towards Churchill purposefully. Rose started towards Amy and grabbed her arm when she reached her and steered her towards the Doctor and Churchill.

"What were you thinking?" she muttered at Amy, and Amy just shrugged out of Rose's grip and rolled her eyes at her concern. Amy's ignorance was starting to unsettle her.

"Winston. Winston, please," the Doctor began and pulled the cigar out of Churchill's mouth, leaving him puffing on empty air. Churchill ignored his pleas.

"We are waging total war, Doctor. Day after day the Luftwaffe pound this great city like an iron fist," he responded, his statement punctuated by occasional blasts that rattled the ceiling above them.

"Wait till the Dalek's get started," Rose said, leaning towards him over the map. Churchill stared back at her over it. The Doctor's eyes drifted from the conversation over to the Dalek surveying the room in the corner.

"Men, women, and children slaughtered. Families torn apart. Wren's churches in flame," he insisted.

"Yeah. Try the Earth in flames," the Doctor chimed in and Churchill threw up his hands and started to move around the map table.

"I weep for my country. I weep for my empire. It is breaking my heart." The Doctor followed him around the table, pleading with him.

"You're resisting, Winston. The whole world knows you're resisting."

"You're a beacon of hope," Rose tried and the Doctor snapped and pointed at her statement in emphasis, watching Churchill's face for effect.

"But for how long, madam?" he snapped at her and pointed to a Dalek as it approached where he and the Doctor stood. Rose flinched back involuntarily from her spot at the table into Amy as it rolled into her view. Amy looked down at her and put her arms on Rose's shoulders to keep her from running into her and gently squeezed them. Churchill didn't notice and continued his argument. "Millions of innocent lives will be saved if I use these Ironsides now."

"Can I be of assistance?" the Dalek intoned and the Doctor twitched towards it with a finger pointed threateningly.

"Shut it," he growled, eyes flashing dangerously, and turned back to Churchill.

"Listen to me. Just listen. The Daleks have no conscious, no mercy, no pity. They are my oldest and deadliest enemy. You cannot trust them," the Doctor implored.

"If Hitler invaded Hell, I would give a favorable reference to the Devil. These machines are our salvation." A siren broke through the commotion and a collective sigh of relief spread through the room, the tension lightening considerably. Churchill placed a hand on his chest at the sound and his body slumped slightly in relief.

"The All Clear. We are safe," he breathed and looked sharply at the Doctor. "For now."

Churchill turned and left the room. The Dalek eyestalk lifted to the Doctor for a moment, before it too turned and exited after Churchill. Amy moved around Rose towards where the Doctor stood staring at the retreating Dalek form.

"Doctor, it's the All Clear," she reminded him, noting his cold face. She looked back at Rose, who was still pale with fright, but clearly livid, and back to the Doctor.

"You two ok?" The Doctor didn't answer, just continued to stare at the Dalek. Rose was looking straight ahead at them both, refusing to turn to look at it. She could see its reflection in the glass of the cabinets along the wall. That was enough.

"What does hate look like, Amy?" the Doctor asked.

"Hate?" Amy frowned slightly.

"It looks like a Dalek," Rose spoke behind her, voice deadly quiet and the Doctor's eyes flickered to her before turning to Amy and answering her.

"And I'm going to prove it." He rushed out of the room, grabbing Rose's hand and pulling her along after him. Amy hurried to keep pace with him. As they passed a Dalek at the doorway, Rose shrunk away from it. Through their hands, the Doctor could feel the golden energy in her mind flare at the proximity and once again pulled her to his side and under his arm. He glanced down at her momentarily before heading towards the laboratory.

Rose bit her lip and allowed herself to be tucked into his side as he rushed through the hallways. She was finding it very hard to keep her thoughts straight. Her mind was flooding with thoughts and hazy images that could only be memories. She had no recollection of them, and each were tinged with a burning golden light, but they flew through her mind rapidly. When the Doctor touched her, the blinding light receded slightly. Enough that she could function and find her own current thoughts in the jumble of heat. It didn't hurt that her quivering insides quelled slightly at the comforting touch, either.

When they turned into the lab, he released her carefully. She felt the loss of touch keenly, and put more effort into sorting her mind, keeping close to the doorway, and well away from the Dalek in the center of the room. The Doctor clapped his hands together and started pacing the perimeter, picking up tools and objects along the way, skirting the Dalek.

"Alright, Prof. Now, the PM's been filling me in. Amazing things these Ironsides of yours. You must be very proud of them." He picked up a file at random and began to sift through it, motioning for Rose to enter the room.

"Just doing my bit," Bracewell chortled happily and Amy grinned back at him, toying with a wrench the Doctor had absently handed her.

"Not bad for a Paisley boy," she winked and he turned to her, smiling. The Doctor handed Rose a file and picked up another one. She took a seat in a chair at the desk, making sure to keep the desk between herself and the Dalek and began to sort through the file he'd handed her. Dalek schematics, it appeared. She looked up at the Doctor questioningly, but he was busy looking through his own paperwork. Bracewell was humming happily at Amy's observation.

"Yes, I thought I detected a familiar cadence, my dear."

"How did you do it? Come up with the idea?" the Doctor broke in, barely glancing up from the file he was rifling though. Bracewell seemed a little taken aback by the question, but shrugged good-naturally.

"How does the muse of invention come to anyone?" The Doctor dropped his file and picked up another one.

"But you get a lot of these clever notions, do you?"

"Well, ideas just seem to teem from my head. Wonderful things, like. Let me show you." Bracewell went to another table and started pulling out journals to show them. The Doctor abandoned his file and went to look at what Bracewell was producing. Rose stayed where she was.

"Some musings on the potential of hypersonic flight. Gravity bubbles that can sustain life outside of the terrestrial atmosphere. Came to me in the bath," Bracewell shrugged, smiling. The Doctor picked up the produced papers in turn and studied them momentarily before discarding them on the table. He looked over at Rose and they exchanged significant looks.

"And are these your ideas or theirs?" Rose asked from her seat at the desk and Bracewell turned to her, surprised. The Doctor raised his eyebrows, echoing her statement.

"Oh no, no, no. These robots are entirely under my control, my dear. They are," he insisted and a Dalek rolled forward, with tea on a tray for Bracewell. Bracewell lifted it and held it towards Rose in emphasis before taking a sip. He nodded to the Dalek appreciatively.

"Thank you. The perfect servant and the perfect warrior," he finished, contented and the Doctor narrowed his eyes at him, his tone still pleasant.

"I don't know what you're up to, Professor, but whatever they've promised, you cannot trust them. Call them what you like, the Daleks are death."

"Yes Doctor," Churchill agreed from the doorway and entered the room purposefully. They all turned to him as he walked forward, Dalek in tow. "Death to our enemies. Death to the forces of darkness, and death to the Third Reich."

"Yes, Winston, and death to everyone else too," he replied, impatience lacing his calm tone. Rose could see the agitation on his face reaching a boiling point.

"Would you care for some tea?" the nearest Dalek asked and the Doctor jerked, smashing the tray out of its clutch, glaring at it. Amy's eyes grew wide at the display, and Rose reached for the TARDIS vial around her neck, but no one made a move towards him.

"Stop this! What are you doing here? What do you want?"

"We only seek to help you," it answered, unnerved.

"To do what?"

"To win the war." The Doctor narrowed his eyes at its response.

"Really? Which war?" The Dalek hesitated before answering.

"I do not understand."

"This war, against the Nazis, or your war? The war against the rest of the universe? The war against all life forms that are not Dalek?"

"I do not understand. I am your soldier," it answered and the Doctor laughed harshly, pointing a finger at it, face contorted with rage.

"Oh yeah? Ok." He grabbed a large wrench from a table nearby and let it hang from his grip heavily like a club.

"Ok, soldier. Defend yourself," he sneered and swung the wrench heavily at the Dalek. It collided with a dull thunk of metal on hollow metal. Rose took a quick step back at the noise and pushed her way around the desk towards the Doctor.

"Doctor, what the devil?" Churchill spluttered and the Doctor brought the wrench down on the Dalek again. Bracewell looked horrified.

"You do not require tea?" the Dalek asked, and the Doctor hit it again.

"Stop him! Prime Minister, please!" Bracewell begged and Churchill took another step towards him.

"Doctor, what the devil? Please, these machines are precious," Churchill insisted. Rose reached Amy and pulled her back from the commotion, placing herself between her and the Dalek. The Doctor grabbed the Dalek's eyestalk and glared down it.

"Come on. Fight back. You want to, don't you? You know you do," his spat and swung the wrench again.

"I must protest," Bracewell insisted, but the Doctor yelled over him. He spread his arms at the Dalek, taunting it.

"What are you waiting for? Look, you hate me. You want to kill me. Well, go on. Kill me. Kill me!" he raged, and hit the Dalek again.

"Doctor, be careful," Amy called from behind and Rose and Rose felt her breath catch with sudden icy fear. What if it listened? What if it just shot him right there?

"Doctor, please," Rose begged, reaching forward to grab onto his jacket sleeve. He pulled his arm free and brought the wrench down on the Dalek again.

"Please desist from striking me. I am your soldier," the Dalek intoned and the Doctor roared as he swung the wrench a final time before dropping it heavily.

"You are my enemy! And I am yours. You are everything I despise. The worst thing in all creation. I've defeated you time and time again. She's defeated you," he yelled, throwing his hand back to point towards Rose.

"We send you back into the Void. We've saved the whole of reality from you. I am the Doctor and she is the Bad Wolf. And you are the Daleks," he spat venomously, and kicked it backwards.

The Daleks eye rotated slowly towards the Doctor when it came to a stop. It stared at them in silence for a few moments.

"Correct. Review testimony," it intoned, rolling to stop beside the other Dalek in the room. Their eye stalks swiveled to each other's and the Doctor's final words echoed back between them.

" _I am the Doctor and she is the Bad Wolf. And you are the Daleks."_ The Doctor looked between them, fear spreading across his face.

"Testimony. What are you talking about, testimony?" he demanded, keeping the horror from creeping into his voice.

"Transmitting testimony now," the other Dalek answered.

"Transmitting what? Where?" Rose reached forward to grab his hand and he gripped it, hard. Amy's eyes darting between the two machines, widened past the point of comfort.

"Testimony accepted."

"Get back, all of you." The Doctor dragged Rose backward, arm held out to push Amy back as well.

"Marines! Marines, get in here!" Churchill roared and two men in uniform ran into the room. The Daleks rotated in place and shot them calmly, one at a time. Bracewell stared at them in horror.

"Stop it! Stop it, please! What are you doing? You are my Ironsides," he pleaded.

"We are the Daleks."

"But I created you," Bracewell insisted.

"No," the closest Dalek answered, and fired once at Bracewell's hand. It disappeared in a flash of blue light, revealing sparking wiring beneath. "We created you."

"Victory. Victory. Victory!" both Daleks cried and were beamed away, echoing. Everyone stared at the empty space where the Daleks had been in horrified silence.

"What just happened, Doctor?" Amy finally asked and Rose felt his grip on her hand tighten.

"I wanted to know what they wanted. What their plan was. I was there plan," he answered in shock. Suddenly, Rose felt a sharp tug on her hand as the Doctor fled the room, tugging her along behind him. Amy called after them, but he didn't stop. After a moment, Amy chased after them both, Churchill puffing along after them. She caught up with them as they entered the file room where the Doctor had landed the TARDIS.

"Testimony accepted. That's what they said. My testimony," he was saying to Rose, and the room, and to no one at all. He dropped Rose's hand and began pacing the room. She rubbed it with her other hand a bit to get some blood flowing back to her fingers and winced as the tingling began. He grimaced at her apologetically when he noticed, but didn't say anything.

"Don't beat yourself up because you were right," she snorted and threw an arm around Rose's shoulders. "So, what do we do? Is this what we do now? Chase after them?"

The Doctor stopped pacing in front of them.

"This is what I do, yeah. And it's dangerous. So you wait here." He turned and started to unlock the TARDIS. Amy scoffed behind him and pulled her arm off of Rose, who was just watching them both.

"What, so you mean we've got to stay safe down here in the middle of the London Blitz?" and he turned back to her.

"Safe as it gets around me. And not we. You. Sorry." He reached forward and pulled Rose towards him into the TARDIS before she could protest. Amy stared at the TARDIS, gaping, as it began to dematerialize.

"What's he expect us to do now?" she huffed and Churchill pulled his cigar out of his mouth in contemplation.

"KBO, of course."

"What?"

"Keep buggering on."

* * *

The Doctor ushered Rose up the steps and sat her down in the jump seat before turning to flip some levers on the console. Rose watched his motions, acutely aware of the sudden recession of the golden energy that had been bombarding her mind since she'd first seen the Dalek on the roof.

"And why am I not safe in the London Blitz with Amy?" she asked, reached a hand up to her forehead in relief. The Doctor glanced over at her movement, but continued his work.

"Because the TARDIS can help you shield the time energy in your mind. You seem to have a grip on it most of the time, but seeing the Daleks seems to have triggered some kind of reaction, making it more difficult for you to control. If you stay in here, the TARDIS can help you keep it contained," he rattled off casually, staring at the screen.

"Bingo," he grinned and Rose stared at him.

"Excuse me?"

"I said Bingo-"

"No I heard you. Excuse me to that other thing?" she interrupted and blinked a few times, unsure of what to start with. He was right about the triggered reaction, as far as she could tell. She had felt the flare when she realized what those blasts were the first time on the roof and hadn't been entirely able to control it since then. The TARDIS did seem to be helping quite a lot since she'd entered her. She reached out to the TARDIS in thanks and felt her mind cloaked in warmth in response. She closed her eyes momentarily before snapping them open to stare at him again.

"Most of the time?" she questioned. He winced.

"Well, I could –can- feel your mind when you reach out. Like just now when you reached for the TARDIS." He tapped his temple, and pushed a few more buttons. "Telepathic." Rose resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him.

"Yeah, got that. You knew I was though?" He sniffed and flapped his hands indiscriminately as he spoke.

"Telepathic? Well, all humans have a low level of telepathic ability. Yours increased minimally after you had the vortex minimally in your mind. It's stronger than I recall it being, but I suppose that could just be practice. That could imply, however, that I didn't remove all of it on the game station. Bit worrisome, but we don't have time for that right now." The sound of the TARDIS landing pulsated out and he looked to the door and back at her.

"Rose, don't follow me. Do not follow me. Normally I would say that with the understanding that you are going to inevitably follow me, but seriously. You are having a difficult time controlling your mind. Please. Stay in the TARDIS. Amy is safest down there. You are safest in here."

She looked at down at her hands, frowning, and sighed finally. He wasn't wrong. Being on board the TARDIS helped immensely with her control, but so had touching him.

The TARDIS door shut with a snap and she jerked her head up to an empty TARDIS. He had left her in here. Didn't even wait for an answer. She glared at the door and ran to it, pressing her ear to the door to listen. She could hear Dalek voices from behind the door before the Doctor interrupted them.

"How about that cuppa now, then?"

"It is the Doctor," she heard a Dalek answer. "Exterminate!"

Outside the TARDIS, the Doctor pulled what appeared to be a self-destruct button from his jacket pocket and held it out for the Daleks to observe.

"Wait, wait, wait. I wouldn't if I were you. TARDIS self-destruct, and you know what that means. My ship goes, you all go with it." Rose pulled her head back to frown at the door and turned to look at the console. The TARDIS poured some reassuring warmth into her mind and she pressed her ear back to the door. She knew he wouldn't blow up the TARDIS, but a self-destruct button wasn't something to keep about one's person.

"You would not use such a device," a Dalek responded. She couldn't tell which was one speaking from inside the TARDIS. They all sounded very similar.

"Try me," she heard the Doctor respond, and outside a Dalek began to roll towards the TARDIS. He shifted his stance a bit. If they scanned the TARDIS, they'd detect Rose. And they would know he would never risk Rose. He tutted reprovingly at the approaching Dalek.

"Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah! No scans. No nothing. One move and I'll destroy us all, you got that? TARDIS bang bang. Daleks boom!" The Dalek backed up slowly to stand in line with the other two. The Doctor smiled at him and nodded. "Good boy." He lowered his arm and gazed around the room, before beginning to pace the edges, observing and commenting.

"This ship's pretty beaten up. Running on empty I'd say, like you. When we last met, you were at the end of your rope. Finished," the Doctor said, stopping in front of them again to stare them down.

"One ship survived." Inside the TARDIS, Rose inhaled quickly at the thought. John hadn't destroyed all of the Daleks. All those years ago when he'd been created. July 5. They celebrated that day as a sort of ironic birthday for him. Rose had gotten him a child's birthday balloon that had a large one on it on that anniversary. She reached down for her TARDIS vial, pressing the rapidly warming glass into her chest to steady herself.

"And you fell back through time, yes. Crippled. Dying," the Doctor summarized outside the TARDIS.

"We picked up a trace. One of the Progenitor devices."

"Progenitor? What's that when it's at home?" he mused, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet.

"It is our past, and our future."

"Oh? That's deep. That is deep for a Dalek. What does it mean, though?" the Doctor pressed.

"It contains pure Dalek DNA. Thousands were created. All were lost, save one."

"Ok, but there's still one thing I don't get, though. If you've got the Progenitor, why build Bracewell?" He leaned forwards slightly, eyes darting between the Dalek's as the hesitant silence grew.

"It was necessary," one finally answered him and he frowned.

"But why? I get it. Oh I get it, I get it!" Slowly, his frown stretched into a wide gloating smirk and he laughed sharply at them, clapping his hands together. At the hilarity and irony of their situation. "Oh ho! This is rich. The Progenitor wouldn't recognize you, would it? It saw you as impure. Your DNA is unrecognizable as Dalek."

"A solution was devised." The Doctor nodded and began pacing, dialoguing out their plan now.

"Yes, yes, yes. Me. My testimony. So you set a trap. You knew that the Progenitor would recognize me, the Dalek's greatest enemy. It would accept my word. My recognition of you." A Dalek had taken his distracted rambling to glide towards the console and reach its plunger out towards it. The Doctor turned towards it just as the plunger reached the control. He held back out his hand with the small object in it in warning.

"No, no, no. What are you doing?"

"Withdraw now, Doctor, or the city dies in flames," the Dalek threatened and he scoffed at them, hand still outstretched.

"Who are you kidding? This ship is a wreck. You don't have the power to destroy London." The Dalek swiveled back to the console at his words.

"Watch as the humans destroy themselves," it taunted and he could hear the sound of a laser beam powering up.

* * *

In London, every light of every building started to switch on. The entire city was lit up like a Christmas display, bright and visible. The map room was a flurry of activity and tension and everyone scrambled to find a solution. Amy had stuck close to Churchill since the Doctor and Rose's leaving.

"The generators won't switch off. The lights are on all across London, Prime Minister," one of the men reported from a phone on the wall and Amy turned to Churchill.

"Has to be them. It has to be the Daleks."

"The German's can see every inch of the city. We're sitting ducks," he exclaimed and turned to the man at the phone awaiting orders. "Get those lights out before the Germans get here!"

"Confirm. Squadron 244 and 56 mobilized. Emergency. Emergency," a woman was saying into a headset, scribbling down coordinates.

"109? 109, confirm?" another was asking and Churchill's brow furrowed deeper as he stared at the map.

"Thousands will die if we don't get those lights out now." Amy stared down at the map, wracking her mind for a solution. She wished Rose was here. One of the women removed her headset to report to Churchill.

"German bombers sighted over the Channel, sir. ETA ten minutes, sir," she said and replaced the headset. Churchill sighed.

"Here they come. Get a message to Mister Attlee. War Cabinet meeting at 0300 hours. If we're all still here," he mused.

"We can't just sit here. We've got to take the fight to the Daleks," Amy insisted and Churchill turned back to her.

"How? None of our weapons are a match for theirs," he reminded her and she threw her hands in the air in frustration.

"Oh God, we must have something," she muttered and then it dawned on her. Something that they did have. Something that was more than a match for the Daleks. She lowered her hands and grinned at Churchill.

"Oh. It's staring us in the face. A gift. From the Daleks."

* * *

Rose had abandoned her post at the door in favor of the screen at the console. She had managed to get it working and could see the Doctor's frame quivering with fury at the cold, emotionless Daleks.

"Turn those lights off now. Turn London off or I swear I will use the TARDIS self-destruct," he yelled and raised his arm again at them.

"Stalemate Doctor. Leave us, and return to Earth."

"Oh, that's it. That's your great victory? You leave?" he spat and Rose clenched and unclenched her fists at the futility of their situation.

"Extinction is not an option. We shall return to our own time and begin again," the Dalek responded and the Doctor shook his head angrily at the thought.

"No, no, no. I won't let you get away this time. I won't," he hissed. A low deep vibration started up from behind the Daleks, pulsating and increasing in pitch and frequency.

"We have succeeded. DNA reconstruction complete," the Daleks cried, all turned to face and back away from the door behind them. The vibration grew louder and the room began to spark violently. With the hiss of air suddenly released, the chamber doors slid open, pouring out smoke and showering sparks into the room. The Doctor stared at the room anxiously, eyes darting to see through the fog.

"Observe, Doctor. A new Dalek paradigm," the Daleks exclaimed.

One by one, five Daleks emerged from the smoking room. Shiny and clean and unlike anything he or Rose had seen before. White, blue, orange, yellow, and red. Glossy and new, and wholly repugnant. Rose stared at the Daleks on the screen in frozen shock.

"The Progenitor has fulfilled our new destiny. Behold, the restoration of the Daleks. The resurrection of the master race," the Daleks cried gleefully and the Doctor just stared at them in horror and devastation. Devastation at what they were. Devastation at what they meant. Devastation at what they would become.

* * *

Thank you so much for reading! I know it took me longer than normal this time, but thank you for being patient with me! I'm going to try to get the second half up soon.

Thank you so everyone who has reviewed so far! If I didn't answer you directly, know that your words keep me motivated! Feel free to share your thoughts! I adore reading the comments. Till next time!


	7. Victory of the Daleks: Part Two

Amy Pond walked purposefully towards to lab with Churchill. She was right. She had to be right. Bracewell was their best chance for defeating these Daleks and she had to convince him of that. She glanced over at Churchill puffing heavily along beside her and felt a momentary thrill at the fact that she really was in the Cabinet War Rooms during World War Two. Regardless of the danger- the blitz, the Daleks- she would never be able to get over the thrill of the new.

She and Churchill entered the lab quietly. Bracewell was sitting at a table, staring at a gun he held in his remaining hand. The look on his face was one of a man contemplating imminent death. She cautiously approached Bracewell, but Churchill displayed none of her concern. He walked purposefully towards him, and when he spoke, his voice was laced with annoyance.

"Bracewell, put the gun down," he chided, as if to a child. Bracewell fingered the handle of the weapon carefully, studying it with determination.

"My life is a lie, and I choose to end it." Amy took a deep breath in and straightened herself up, laying on the bravado thick. Channeling Rose.

"In your own time, Paisley boy, because right now we need your help," she said, moving over to lean on the table he sat at and get a good look at his condition. She saw some doubt flicker in his eyes at the mention of help, before they reverted to anguish once more.

"But those creatures…my Ironsides…they made me," he lamented and Amy shot a quick look at Churchill as Bracewell continued.

"I can remember things. So many things. The last war. The squalor and the mud and the awful, awful misery of it all. What am I? What am I?" he pleaded and Churchill interrupted him before he could indulge his pain any longer. People were losing their lives up there in the lit city and he didn't have time for this.

"What you are, sir, is either on our side or theirs. Now, I don't give a damn if you're a machine Bracewell. Are you a man?" He popped his cigar back in his mouth and raised his eyebrows intimidatingly at Bracewell. Amy leaned closer, eyeing the gun still in his hand carefully, and adopted a gentler tone.

"Listen to me. I understand. Really, I do," she murmured, and slowly detached the gun from his hand. He allowed her to take it from him and set it on the table, watching her face to gauge her intentions.

"Look, there is a spaceship up there lighting up London like a Christmas tree. Thousands of people will die tonight if we don't stop it, and you are the only one who can help take it down." Bracewell blinked at her a few times, and she could see some of the hopelessness begin to dissipate.

"I am?" Amy grinned at him as she felt hope begin to bubble within. They were getting through to him. He was listening.

"You're alien technology. You're as clever as the Daleks are, so start thinking. What about rockets? You got rockets?" she asked, looking over at Churchill. He frowned at her so she turned back to Bracewell. "Because you said you have gravity whatsits, hypersonic flight, some kind of missile."

"It isn't a fireworks party, Miss. Pond. We need proper tactical…" Churchill trailed off before jumping suddenly in realization. "A missile…or…"

"Or what?" Amy asked but he ignored her, eyes fixed on Bracewell.

"We could send something up there, you say?" Churchill asked him, and Bracewell started pulling up some papers and looking at them, already sifting through the ideas racing through his mind.

"Yes, well, with a gravity bubble, yes. But…Theoretically, it's possible that we could actually send something into space," he spluttered and Churchill smirked wolfishly at him, eyes twinkling.

"Bracewell, it's time to think big."

* * *

Rose gripped the sides of the console screen so hard her knuckles had turned white and her eyes had begun to water, widened past the point of comfort. She wasn't noticing any of that though. Her eyes were glued to the screen, and she swallowed down fresh terror building in her throat. The golden burning was beginning again at the base of her skull and she dimly registered the TARDIS's presence in her mind, strategically cornering the golden energy so that she could think clearly. She almost wished the TARDIS would just let the pain flood her. Some small part of her wanted to be incoherent at this moment. The resurrection of the Daleks.

She felt a wave of stinging resentment at their tenacity as a race. Five new Daleks, polished and colored in different ranks. They stood in stark contrast to their battle worn older siblings. And there, in the center of it all, was the Doctor. Rose could tell from his shifting that he was just as nervous as she was. He was keeping quiet, observing and tensed to run should he need to. The new Daleks had ignored him so far and the older ones were praising their creation.

"All hail the new Daleks! All hail the new Daleks!" they echoed, over and over. The white Dalek turned its eyestalk to stare at them. When it spoke, its voice was deeper than Rose was used to hearing from a Dalek. The distinction sent a cold shiver of dread up her spine.

"Yes. You are inferior." It spoke lazily and deeply. Its first words: a judgement.

"Yes," one of the older Dalek's answered.

"Then prepare," the white one droned and the blue Dalek turned towards the cluster of original Daleks. The older Daleks began to shake slightly, and they answered in unison.

"We are ready."

"Cleanse the unclean. Total obliteration. Disintegrate," the white Dalek ordered and the blue one began to fire on the older Daleks. They didn't try to run. They didn't turn away. They stood in place, still and silent, as one by one they exploded into blue dust that melted into the air. Rose felt her mouth open slightly in shock at the display and dropped her hands from the screen limply. She hadn't thought she'd ever be shocked by a Dalek again. They never ran out of ways to disgust her. The Doctor looked between the remaining Daleks, his shocked expression mirroring Rose's from inside the TARDIS.

"Blimey. What do you do to the ones who mess up?" he asked, and the white Dalek rolled towards him a few feet.

"You are the Doctor. You must be exterminated." The Doctor reached into this pocket to pull back out the round device he'd brandished at the last Daleks. The self-proclaimed TARDIS self-destruct. He held it up to the white one, and his voice pitched lower in warning.

"Don't mess with me, sweetheart," he growled and Rose felt her stomach flip at his tone. The growl and glare, so familiar, no matter what face it was on. The Oncoming Storm. She fought back the sudden nostalgia with a bite of her lip and began to clench and unclench her fists anxiously.

"We are the paradigm of a new Dalek race," the white Dalek reminded him. "Scientist. Strategist. Drone. Eternal. And the Supreme."

"Which would be you, I'm guessing," the Doctor quipped and raised his eyebrows at the white Dalek, waving his hand dismissively.

"Well, you know, nice paint job. I'd be feeling pretty swish if I looked like you. Pretty supreme. Question is, what do we do now? Either you turn off your clever machine or I'll blow you and your new paradigm into eternity."

"And yourself." The Doctor felt a modicum of relief at its statement. They didn't know about Rose. They thought he was alone up here with them.

"Occupational hazard." He glared at the Supreme. Suddenly, the blue one rolled forward to address the Supreme.

"Scan reveals nothing. TARDIS self-destruct device non-existent." The Doctor shrugged at their realization of his hoax and took a large bite out of his device.

"Alright. It's a Jammy Dodger, but I was promised tea," he said around a mouthful of biscuit. The blue one continued as though he hadn't spoken.

"Scan reveals a life form on the TARDIS." The Doctor swallowed his bite and his eyes flashed dangerously at them. Rose's veins filled with ice and her hand went to the TARDIS vial, pressing its heat deeper into her chest to fight back the terror.

"Watch it, blue bell," he growled. An alarm began to sound from the control panel behind the Daleks and the blue and yellow turned to it promptly.

"Alert. Unidentified projectile approaching," Blue warned. "Correction: multiple projectiles." The Doctor turned on his heel and ran to the console behind him to study the screen. His face cracked into a wide smile. The screen showed three small objects flying towards the Dalek ships location. The Supreme swiveled away from the screen to look at him.

"What have the humans done?" it demanded and the Doctor's grin widened.

"I don't know," he admitted gleefully.

"Explain. Explain. Explain," the Supreme was demanding. Rose pulled the screen over to the other side of the TARDIS console and began to search for the buttons to pull up the same scans as the Dalek ship. As she found the right switch, a tinny radio voice spoke over the Dalek intercoms.

"Danny Boy to the Doctor. Danny Boy to the Doctor. Are you receiving me? Over." The Doctor laughed loudly and turned back to the Daleks, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. The Daleks began to shift around him, surrounding and cornering him, but he was elated.

"Oh ho! Winston, you beauty!" he cried and Rose broke into a smile.

"Danny Boy to the Doctor. Come in. Over," the voice requested again and The Doctor responded confidently, despite the encroaching Daleks. Rose noted the surrounding Daleks and abandoned her post at the screen, running for the door.

"Loud and clear, Danny Boy. Big dish, side of the ship. Blow it up. Over," he answered and the white Dalek turned on him. Rose threw open the door and ran the few feet out of the TARDIS towards the Doctor.

"Exterminate the Doctor," the Supreme commanded and Rose yanked on the Doctor's hand, pulling him out of the way of a Dalek blast and dragged him quickly into the TARDIS. He shut the door behind them quickly and ran up to the console, pulling a few levers before the transmissions of the pilots filled the TARDIS. They could hear the battle raging outside of the Dalek ship, the men calling to each other. Rose looked between the Doctor and the screen, now displaying a radar reading of the outside flight patterns.

"Cover my back, going in close," one was ordering. "Pull out, pull out!" One of the green dots on the screen blipped out and Rose blinked at it a few times. No matter how many times she witnessed this in the field, it still shocked her. A plane was gone, shot down, but the cold digital form of it did nothing to adequately show the loss of a life.

"We've lost Jubilee, sir. Over."

"Oh, god," Rose whispered and the Doctor looked down at her. She reached for his hand and he took it, squeezing tightly. They both looked back at the screen, watching the little green dots at odds with the war of the voices. Abruptly, another green dot disappeared and Rose squeezed the Doctor's hand tighter.

"Flintlock's down sir, and the dish seems to be protected. Over," the pilot relayed.

"Can't we do something?" she begged, unnerved by the detachment of the battle. The voice on the intercom echoed her question.

"Danny Boy to the Doctor. Only me left now. Anything you can do, sir? Over." The Doctor looked down at her, and his expression hardened. He dropped her hand and reached for the communicator.

"The Doctor to Danny Boy. The Doctor to Danny Boy. I can disrupt the Dalek shields, but not for long. Over."

"Good show, Doctor. Go to it. Over," the pilot answered and the Doctor dropped the communicator, pulling a few knobs and switching on a final lever.

"Doctor, what's going on? Why didn't you do that before?" Rose stared at him, unnerved by the look on his face. Cold. Detached. Like the computer screen. He didn't answer her. The TARDIS jolted to the side and Rose grabbed onto the railing on the side to stay upright. She could hear the Dalek ship begin to spark outside the doors and the Supreme begin to raise its voice. Direct hit then.

"Is London dark again?" Rose asked, but he ignored her.

"Danny Boy to the Doctor. Going in for another attack," the voice informed them and the Doctor scooped up the communicator again.

"The Doctor to Danny Boy. The Doctor to Danny Boy. Destroy this ship. Over," the Doctor commanded and busied himself with readying the TARDIS for a hasty escape.

"What about you, Doctor?" the pilot asked.

"I'll be ok," he answered confidently. Rose just stared at him in shock. Destroying the Daleks was the reason she and John had been dropped off in the parallel world in the first place. The Doctor had insisted that John was too dangerous to stay, born in battle as he put it. And he'd left her there too, deciding her fate, making the choice of what would be best for her without consulting her. And here he was, the great hypocrite, commanding a pilot do the same thing John had. Destroy the last of the Daleks. Without a second chance.

"You can't be serious." He glanced up at her quickly and away again.

"They cannot be allowed to leave. I have a chance to end it all right here." His gaze cut up to hers again. His face was determined, but his eyes begged her to agree with him. To side with him. He needed her on his side for this.

The TARDIS screen crackled behind them and they both turned to it. An image of the Supreme cut through the white static. Rose involuntarily stepped backward at seeing it displayed so large in the safety of the TARDIS.

"Doctor, call off your attack," it demanded and the Doctor laughed harshly at it, taking a few steps to the railing. His hands gripped the railing tightly, betraying the calmness of his tone.

"Ha. What, and let you scuttle off back to the future? No fear? This is the end for you. The final end," he sneered, savoring the taste of the idea on his lips. Daleks finally ended, just like he'd set out to do all those years ago. Rose just stared at him, watching the bloodlust overtake his face.

"Call off the attack, or we will destroy the Earth." Rose blanched a bit, but the Doctor went on unfazed by their threat.

"I'm not stupid, mate. You've just played your last card," he scoffed.

"Bracewell is a bomb."

Rose felt her veins flood with ice. The golden heat in her mind began to push its way to her consciousness again. She could feel the TARDIS walls cracking under the pressure. The Doctor blinked a few times rapidly. Rose could see some uncertainty creep into his expression, but he tried to play it off.

"You're bluffing. Deception's second nature to you. There isn't a sincere bone in your body. There isn't a bone in your body," he rambled but the Dalek cut him off.

"His power is derived from an Oblivion Continuum. Call off your attack, or we will detonate the android," it droned and Rose ran to the console, priming the TARDIS for departure. They had to get down there. Amy was down there with Bracewell. Probably in the same room. They couldn't risk it. The Doctor followed her back and gripped the edges of the console, staring at the Dalek on screen.

"No. This is my best chance ever. The last of the Daleks. I can rid the Universe of you, once and for all." His voice pitched up in frustration and he glared at the screen, gripping the handles of the screen tightly.

"Then do it. But we will shatter the planet below. The Earth will die screaming."

"Amy is down there, Doctor. There isn't a decision to be made," she growled, glaring at him. He looked over at her with such regret and pain, eyes glassy. He glanced over at the screen and then back at her.

"Yeah, and if I let them go, they'll be stronger than ever. A new race of Daleks," he said softly and Rose balled her fists at his reluctance.

"Call him off. You're not risking it. Amy is down there," she repeated, willing herself to be calm. The Doctor she knew wouldn't even entertain this thought, and here he was, mulling it over as though there was a choice. She'd take him down and call off the pilot herself if she had too. She knew how. She'd been trained for this. He was not risking Amy, and humanity, for them.

"Choose, Doctor. Destroy the Daleks. Or save the Earth," the Supreme demanded. Rose glanced at him, but he just stared at the Dalek on screen, chin quivering slightly in hatred and futility.

"Begin countdown of Oblivion Continuum. Choose, Doctor. Choose. Choose," the Dalek cried. Rose watched as the Doctor just stared back at the Dalek, not doing anything.

"Doctor. Call off the pilot. Now." She glared at him until he looked down to meet her eyes.

"Amy is down there. You are not risking Earth. You are not risking her. Now call. Him. OFF," she screamed, staring him down. She felt herself tense up for a conflict. Her mind flared with a golden intensity for a few blinding moments, but she rode the feeling. She allowed the surge of anger and fear to flow through her and she saw his expression flicker for a moment with uncertainty and worry.

The irises of her eyes rimmed in gold was a fearsome sight. She was prepped for war, whether she realized it or not. Without breaking her gaze, he reached down for the communicator and brought it to his lips.

"The Doctor to Danny Boy. The Doctor to Danny Boy. Withdraw." Rose felt her muscles release an almost imperceptible amount of tension and the mental energy receded back behind the mental wall the TARDIS had constructed. She unclenched her fists, having not realized she'd balled them in the first place.

"Say again, sir. Over."

"Withdraw. Return to Earth. Over and out," the Doctor responded quickly and cut off the pilot as he began to protest. "There's no time. You have to return to Earth. Now." He reached up to place the communicator back in place and Rose reached over and switched off the Daleks on the monitor quietly, dematerializing the TARDIS. Rose stared at him with cold fury.

"You will never risk Amy or the Earth again. Do you understand me?" she warned, glaring, but he ignored her.

"Bracewell is still a bomb. The Daleks will still detonate the Oblivion Continuum," the Doctor was muttering to himself and Rose positioned herself by the exit. She was ready to be out of the door the moment they arrived.

"Just take me back, Doctor," she muttered. He coughed uncomfortably and pressed a button. Outside the TARDIS could be heard wheezing out her landing. Rose tore out of the door with the Doctor close behind her and sprinted down the corridor. They'd landed in the same place as before. One left, one right and another left into the Map Room. She grabbed the doorframe of the Map Room as she swung her body around it to slow her momentum. She could hear Bracewell and Amy's voices and pushed past a few people. Bracewell and Amy turned in her direction to greet her. Rose pulled back her arm, fist balled, and propelled it forward into his jaw with as much force as she could muster. A tight quick jab that sent him reeling to the ground. Amy gaped at her, horrified.

"Rose!" she cried, but the Doctor brushed past them both to stop in front of Bracewell's form, wringing his hands nervously.

"Sorry Professor. You're a bomb," Rose offered from behind him and massaged her now cracked knuckles. She hadn't had a reason to haul off and punch someone in ages. She was mostly reconnaissance. "An inconceivably massive Dalek bomb," she finished.

"What?" Bracewell spluttered from the ground and attempted to rise. Rose made an angry noise in her throat and got to her knees next to him quickly, pushing him back down by his shoulders.

"There's an Oblivion Continuum inside you. A captured wormhole that provides perpetual power. Detonate that, and the Earth will bleed through into another dimension," the Doctor rambled and got to his knees on the other side of Bracewell. Amy hovered at his side behind Rose, staring at the two of them.

"Now keep down," Rose ordered and the Doctor pulled out his sonic, aiming it at Bracewell's chest. With a soft hiss, his chest folded backward and inward like paneled doors, revealing a metal cased chest cavity. A small round disk portioned out in five glowing blue sections sat in the center in lieu of a heart. One of the portions flicked a sudden yellow and Amy looked between them nervously.

"Well?"

"I don't know, I don't know, I don't know," the Doctor rattled quickly, standing and stared at the readings on his sonic. "Never seen one up close before."

"So what, they've wired him up to detonate?" Amy's voice pitched higher and was laced with anxiety.

"Oh no, not wired him up. He is a bomb. Walking, talking, pow, exploding, the moment that flashes red," the Doctor answered, glancing up at her and pointing at the center disk. Amy snapped her fingers at Rose and poked her.

"There's a blue wire or something you have to cut, isn't there? There's always a blue wire," she tried, poking Rose again for emphasis.

"Or a red one," Rose shot back and the Doctor frowned at them both.

"You're not helping."

"It's incredible. He talked to us about his memories. The Great War," Churchill said, dumbfounded.

"Someone else's stolen thoughts?" Rose asked, glancing up at the Doctor. He caught onto her train of thought quickly.

"Implanted in a positronic brain. Of course." He got to his knees again on the other side of Bracewell. "Tell me about it, Bracewell. Tell me about your life."

"Doctor, I really don't think this is the time," Bracewell answered panicky, but the Doctor kept pushing.

"Tell me, and prove you're human. Tell me everything," he pleaded and another segment turned yellow as the first one faded to an orangey red. Rose squeezed his hand in encouragement and Bracewell seemed to pull memories from obscurity, starting with the most basic facts.

"My family ran the Post Office. It's a little place just near the abbey, by the ash trees. There used to be eight trees but there was a storm."

"And your parents? Come on, tell me," the Doctor urged rapidly.

"Good people. Kind people. They died. Scarlet fever." The third segment lit up yellow and the Doctor's tone grew more frantic and demanding.

"What was that like? How did it feel? How did it make you feel, Edwin? Tell me. Tell me now." Rose glanced up at the Doctor sharply at his tone, but went back to soothingly rubbing her thumb across the back of Bracewell's hand comfortingly. Bracewell's eyes started to fill with tears as he choked out his words.

"It hurt. It hurt, Doctor, it hurt so badly. It was like a wound. I thought it was worse than a wound. Like I'd been emptied out. There was nothing left," he moaned and Amy reached out for Rose instinctively. Rose grabbed her hand as well and held them both on either side, playing mother for them both. She could be that for them. The second segment faded from yellow to red. The Doctor looked down at it and back up to Bracewell anxiously.

"Good. Remember it now, Edwin. The ash trees by the Post Office and your mum and dad, and losing them, and men in the trenches that you saw die. Remember it. Feel it," he insisted and tapped on his chest as the fourth segment switched yellow and the rest faded to red. "You feel it because you're human. You're not like them. You're not like the Daleks."

"It hurts, Doctor. It hurts so much," Bracewell cried, but he wouldn't relent. Rose looked over at him and back at Bracewell's terrified face. This wasn't working. This wasn't making him think of the right things. He wasn't recalling the most human parts of himself. She looked up at Amy, whose look mirrored her own.

"Good, good, good, brilliant. Embrace it. That means you're alive. They cannot explode that bomb because you're a human being. You are flesh and blood. They cannot explode that bomb. Believe it. You are Professor Edwin Bracewell, and you, my friend, are a human being!"

The room held their breath collectively as the last segment switched yellow. The rest glowed red now. Amy got to her knees next to Rose and squeezed her hand. The Doctor looked at them both in desperation.

"It's not working. I can't stop it," he breathed and Amy looked down at Bracewell with a small smile on her lips.

"Hey. Paisley," she whispered and he looked over at her. Rose looked down at him and grinned as Amy continued. "Ever fancied someone you know you shouldn't?"

"What?" Bracewell looked taken aback by the question, but the final yellow segment began to fade back to blue as she asked. The Doctor felt his face break into a wide grin of relief and he looked over at Amy with pride.

"It hurts, doesn't it? But kind of a good hurt," she continued softly, scrunching her nose slightly. Amy let go of Rose's hand to lean forward, towards Bracewell. At the thought of a good hurt Rose's eyes slid over to the Doctor, to find him staring at her. They locked eyes for a brief moment before looking back at Bracewell.

"I really shouldn't talk about her."

"Oh, there's a her," Rose teased and the corner of his mouth quirked upwards mischievously. The red of the second section began to bleed away into yellow as they spoke. The Doctor grinned and pressed him.

"What was her name?"

"Dorabella," Bracewell replied, savoring the taste of the name on his lips.

"Dorabella?" the Doctor snorted a laugh and Rose shot him a quick look. "It's a lovely name."

"It's a beautiful name," Rose corrected and rubbed his hand a bit more. He smiled a bit more at her compliment.

"What was she like, Edwin?" Amy asked gently and his eyes drifted out of focus as he remembered.

"Oh, such a smile. And her eyes. Her eyes were so blue. Almost violet, like the last touch of sunset on the edge of the world," he said and smiled softly.

"Dorabella," he breathed. All sections reverted back to blue rapidly as he said her name. Rose exhaled and let her body slump slightly at the sight. The room released a collective sigh of relief and the Doctor smiled widely.

"Welcome to the human race," he said to Bracewell and sat back on his heels happily. He clapped his hands and pointed and spoke in turn to Churchill and Bracewell.

"You're brilliant. You're brilliant. And you," he started, rounding on Amy with a delighted expression. He gave up searching for a word placed a hand on either side of her face, planting a face on her forehead.

"And you raised her!" he cried and repeated the gesture with Rose, letting his lips brush across the crown of her head for chaste kiss. He tried not to breath in too deeply, but the scent of honey and vanilla still momentarily robbed him of breath. Rose pulled her face back from between his hands quickly and blinked at him.

"Daleks," she reminded him and he jumped to his feet, ready to rush out of the room.

"Yes. Now. Got to stop them. Stop the Daleks," he started and everything happened all at once. Bracewell sat up suddenly. Rose slumped over onto Amy, her eyes rolling to the back of her head.

"Wait, Doctor. Wait, Wait!" Bracewell called as Amy cried "Doctor!"

"It's too late," Bracewell continued. Amy was trying to gather Rose more into her arms frantically, gripping her tightly and shaking her slightly, murmuring her name over and over. The Doctor crossed to Amy and Rose quickly and got to his knees in front of her. He reached out and placed a hand on her burning cheek. Her eyes snapped open abruptly and glowed an iridescent gold before fading rapidly to her normal whiskey color. He could feel her temperature dropping as quickly as it'd spiked and any of the golden energy he'd felt emanating from her since she first encountered the Daleks was quickly dissipating. She stared at him as though she'd never seen him before, wrapped in Amy's arms like a child.

"Gone. They've gone," she whispered and he dropped his hand from her face, aghast.

"No. No! They can't. They can't have got away from me again." His eyes begged her to contradict him, tell him she was wrong. Anything. Bracewell coughed and straightened his glasses.

"No, she's right. I can feel it. My mind is clear. The Daleks have gone."

The Doctor scrubbed a hand down his face in frustration and rubbed the back of his neck. Rose blinked a few moments at the overpowering sense of déjà vu at the familiar action. Amy gripped her tighter with one arm and reached out to him with the other, placing it on his knee.

"Doctor, it's ok. You did it. You stopped the bomb. Doctor?"

"I had a choice. And they knew I'd choose the Earth," he answered and looked to Rose's face. "The Daleks have won. They beat me. They've won." He turned away, scrambled to his feet, and began pacing.

"But you saved the Earth. Not too shabby, is it?" she pointed out, as though repeating the obvious. "Is it?" He paused for a moment and glanced down at the two women quickly, fighting a small smile.

"No, it's not too shabby," he conceded and Churchill laughed loudly.

"It's a brilliant achievement, my dear friend. Here, have a cigar!" he said, reaching into his jacket pocket to extract one. The Doctor scrunched his nose and shook his head at it.

* * *

Amy helped Rose sit up and together, she and the Doctor helped her into a chair. She protested at their help, but she found herself still rather shaky. The Map Room had resumed their usual activities rather quickly after everything had calmed down.

When morning came, just a few hours later, it was business as usual. The Doctor had insisted that Rose stay in the chair and ordered Amy to keep watch over her until he got back. When he'd been gone for more than fifteen minutes Rose and Amy had both grown restless. When he'd been more than a half hour, Amy had abandoned her babysitting duties in favor of people watching and Rose had started to stand and move around the perimeter of the room slowly, keeping a hand towards the wall, just in case.

She felt better than she had since they'd been on the roof if she was honest with herself, what felt like days ago. The heat in her mind had all but gone, receding to the normal low pulsing that accompanied her everywhere. She was still a bit fatigued, but that had all but gone. The more she moved, the better she began to feel. She made her way over to where Churchill and Amy were locked in a discussion about the most recent hits.

"Where's the Doctor?" Rose asked them, but the Doctor answered from the doorway as he entered the room, waving his arms.

"Tying up loose ends. I've taken out all of the alien tech Bracewell put in." He came to a stop in front of Rose, grabbed a cup of tea from the table and frowned at her over it.

"Why are you up?" She shrugged.

"Won't you reconsider, Doctor?" Churchill pleaded from behind them and the Doctor looked up at him. "Those Spitfires would win me the war in twenty hours."

"Exactly," he answered, and took a sip.

"But why not? Why can't we put an end to all this misery?"

"Oh, it doesn't work like that, Winston," he said, and set down his teacup, growing serious for a moment. "And it's going to be tough. There are terrible days to come. The darkest days. But you can do it. You know you can."

"Stay with us, and help us win through. The world needs you," Churchill propositioned, ramping himself up like he was giving a speech. The Doctor just shook his head and smiled.

"The world doesn't need me." Churchill looked taken aback.

"No?"

"The world's got Winston Spencer Churchill," the Doctor grinned and held out his arms. Churchill laughed and held out his arms to the Doctor.

"It's been a pleasure, Doctor, as always."

"Too right."

"Goodbye Doctor," he said, embracing him.

"Oh, should we say adieu?" he replied and pulled back as Churchill turned to Rose.

"Indeed. Goodbye Miss. Tyler," he said formally and Rose nodded at him. They hadn't gotten off on the best foot and she doubted if they'd end on a good one either. Seeing as how he'd lifted a TARDIS key from the Doctor during their hug. She was curious if he'd return it or not. Or if Amy had noticed as well. Finally Churchill turned to Amy.

"Goodbye Miss. Pond," he said and smiled warmly at her. Amy smiled back, putting her hands under her chin, still astounded at meeting him.

"It's been amazing, meeting you," she finally got out and Churchill just winked at her knowingly.

"I'm sure it has." Amy kissed him on the cheek and he lit a match to light his cigar before turning to leave. Rose narrowed her eyes

"Oi, Churchill. TARDIS key," Rose called out harshly and the Doctor spit the tea he'd been sipping back into the cup in surprise. He coughed and looked over at Rose, eyes bulging.

"The one you just took from the Doctor," Amy added. Churchill sighed in mock despair and returned the key to Amy's outstretched hand.

"Oh they're good Doctor. As sharp as a pin. Almost as sharp as me." He winked again at Amy cheerfully. "KBO."

* * *

The Doctor insisted on getting Rose back to the TARDIS as soon as he could. He sent Amy along to say goodbye to Bracewell without him, knowing that someone should. Rose wanted to go but she'd faltered in her step on the way there and that was the end of that. When they reached the TARDIS, he unlocked it and steered her inside and onto the jump seat carefully.

"I'm not made of porcelain, yeah," she griped. He just raised an eyebrow at her and crossed his arms.

"Rose, you have collapsed more than once today. You may not be porcelain, but right now you are…" He searched around for the right word and said his choice carefully.

"Fragile." Rose snorted through her nose loudly.

"I am not a fragile person, Doctor."

"No, you're right. You're normally not fragile at all. That's why I'd like to run a few tests on you." Rose sat up and eyed him suspiciously.

"What sort of tests?" The Doctor sighed exasperatedly and started ticking a list off on his fingers.

"Rose. You haven't aged. You have mental capabilities that you shouldn't. You had some sort of reaction to the Daleks. Your mind could sense them and you can mentally communicate with the TARDIS. Do I really need to explain what kind of tests I want to run?" Rose narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. He held out a hand to her.

"Just trust me. Please?" Behind his bravado, Rose could see the sincere concern in his eyes. He was worried about her. She was worried about herself, if she was honest. She didn't really understand anything about her body's functions anymore.

Rose had always tried to ignore it or bury her concern. For years she'd ignored any signs of anything unusual. When almost all of Leadworth was ill with the flu, she'd been fine. Amy never brought home an illness that she caught from school, like all the other parents would talk about. She didn't look a day over twenty and she had to be in her forties by now. She'd lost the only person who could help her make any sense of her biology when the crack had dragged her through all those years ago. And now here he was again, different face and not at all the same man, and yet the exact same. Giving her a chance to understand what had happened to her body.

She felt a twinge of pain at the thought of John, as she always did. She pushed it down and took the Doctors outstretched hand.

* * *

"Where are you taking me?" Rose asked. He'd been deliberately slow in his movements, holding her hand so she could keep pace beside him. It might have felt like a leisurely stroll through the TARDIS if she hadn't felt him brimming with energy. He was antsy, nervous, but he was trying to play it off.

"We're going to the TARDIS infirmary."

"The TARDIS has an infirmary?" she asked, frowning. She'd never been there before. "Hey, I was hurt here loads of time, and you never took me there!" The Doctor grimaced at her.

"Yes, well. The infirmary is for very serious problems. Not light scrapes and such," he started and turned a corner. A single door was at the end and he smiled widely at it.

"Oh, here we are! The infirmary!"

Rose hesitated at the door, eyeing it suspiciously. John had instilled an almost bone deep mistrust of medical science in the alternate world. He would never let anyone examine him after they'd been stranded there other than himself. His physiology was too unique. If anyone outside of the select few who knew about him where to find out, it could be disastrous. He always kept Torchwood from running any scans on himself or Rose. Since she never got sick, she never thought about it much, but she had never been examined by anyone other than him in the parallel world.

By the time she was stranded in Amy's yard, she hadn't been to see a doctor in years. She hadn't had blood drawn or done anything more than the physical that UNIT required to keep her on active duty. The Doctor didn't notice her hesitation and pulled her through the door into the room.

The room was small, and surprisingly sparse by way of style compared to the rest of the TARDIS. It was very sleek, all white and metal. The center of the room had a utilitarian examination bed, backed up against the one wall with anything on it. It was covered in shelves and cupboards. One entire row at eye level was nothing but screens, displaying various readings. The shelves were covered in bottles and tools. A few of the pieces of the equipment were bolted to the wall and hung over the table menacingly.

She shrunk back from the bed slightly, but the Doctor steered her towards it until she had no choice but to take a seat. He began to rummage through a cupboard near the ground and began to extract some implements and fabric.

"Take off your clothes, please. Thank you," he said, head still buried in the cupboard. Rose's eyes shot wide and her mouth fell open.

"Excuse me?" she said, agape. He banged his head on the door in his hurry to extract it, cheeks tinged red.

"No. Sorry. I mean. Well. What I meant to say was," he rambled, rubbing his hands together as he searched for the right words. "No, wait. I was right the first time. I need you to take off your clothes."

Rose felt her own cheeks redden at the thought, mirroring his own.

"Why do you need my clothes off?"

"I'm going to be running some very extensive tests. I need you to be naked for them," he said matter-of-factly. She just stared at him for a few moments before he blanched.

"Oh no. No, no, no. I won't see you naked. You'll just be naked. I can adjust the wavelength that affects my sight, so I won't see you as naked, but I'll still be able to run all the tests I need to."

"So it'll look like I'm wearing clothes to you, but I'll be naked underneath?" The Doctor grinned at her mischievously.

"We're all naked underneath," he reminded her. She glanced around the room quickly, avoiding his gaze.

"How do I do this, then? Just get naked? And you will still see my clothes?" she asked and he nodded solemnly. She didn't miss the twinkle in his eye.

"Fine. Alright. Get out and I'll change. You are adjusting the frequency now though," she commanded and he whipped his sonic out of his breast pocket.

* * *

When the Doctor reentered the room, Rose fought the instinct to cover herself. She felt very naked in front of him. The medical bed was scratchy and cold under her bare bum and she could feel the cool air on her naked skin. But the Doctor didn't bat an eye at her appearance, so she knew she must look the same to him.

"Lie back on the bed, Rose, and we'll get started," he said, reaching for one of the needles on the shelf. She laid down and wondered if everything he said would sound like an innuendo with her naked like this. When he reached out to grab her arm to steady it to draw blood, his warm hand touched her cold skin. She kept her eyes resolutely stuck on a fixed point on the ceiling, refusing to make eye contact. The feel of her skin served as a sharp reminder of his proximity to her naked body for both of them. He cleared his throat nervously.

"I'm going to take some blood now." Rose grimaced at the sharp pinch of the needle sliding into her vein, but she didn't flinch. After a few moments, he pulled out some wires with sticky nodes at the ends and began to attach them all over her body strategically. He was careful to avoid touching anything he shouldn't, but his caution just threw her nakedness into sharper relief.

Rose was starting to relax into the bed as time wore on. He kept up a running commentary of his actions to her as he performed them, but she was starting to zone out. She was wired up and covered in various pieces of equipment, and the rhythmic beeping of the monitors on the screen chiming out her vitals were lulling her into a light sleep.

The TARDIS had reached out and begun to gently stroke the edges of her mind, lowering her mental barriers and allowing her mind to wander outside of herself as she slept. When she brushed up against a dark blue presence, she was too inside her own mind to hear the Doctors sharp intake of breath from across the room. She gently rubbed her mind up against it, her consciousness spreading out around it like tendrils of smoke. It was crisscrossed in cracks and chasms of pain and loneliness. Guilt. Pain. She didn't try to force her way into the other consciousness, just surrounded it and let the golden energy fill in the cracks.

The Doctor was frozen in place, hands gripping the counter in front of him to hold himself up. He wasn't entirely sure if Rose knew what she was doing. He could feel her surrounding him, filling him in like a salve. It was such an aching joy to feel the mental caress of someone else after decades of silence. She must feel the same way to be reaching out so subconsciously to both him and the TARDIS. Unconsciously seeking the mental connection with another in her sleep.

He stood and walked over to stand beside the bed, looking down at her. He brushed a few strands of hair from her forehead, watching her eyes dart about behind her closed eyelids. He had to let some of the scans run for a while more, so her sleep was a blessing. After a moment of watching, he leaned down and pressed a kiss into her forehead. It wasn't a quick, thoughtless brush of his lips as it was earlier. It was a deliberate, intentional kiss. He meant it. He pulled a stool from under the counter and sat down at it, facing the bed. He would wait with her here until the scans finished and she woke.

* * *

As Rose stirred, she was aware of someone's head pressed into her bare forearm, cutting off circulation to her hand. She bit her lip when she looked down and saw the Doctor's new floppy brown hair. She had only seen him sleep a handful of times in both of his previous bodies. This was probably the first time he'd slept in this body since he'd regenerated. She hated to wake him, but several of the monitors were beeping and flashing insistently. She was about to try to rouse him when a loud voice startled them both.

"ROSE! DOCTOR!" Amy was yelling through the TARDIS. She sounded annoyed and as though she had been calling for a while. He jerked his head up and stood suddenly, eyes blinking and almost fell over into the shelving as he tried to gain his footing. He caught himself in time and spun towards the door.

"Amy?"

"Doctor!" she called back, her voice closer. The Doctor glanced back at Rose, still on the bed and raised his eyebrows in a panicked expression.

"Um, hang on Amy!" he said, and frantically began digging through a cupboard near the ground. Rose could hear Amy snort from outside the door. Without waiting, she pushed in the infirmary door. Her jaw dropped when she saw Rose lying on the medical bed.

"Rose!" she cried, scandalized and slapped her hand over her eyes. "Why are you naked?"

Rose sat up and reached down to cover herself instinctively, flushing scarlet. To herself, it looked like she was covering herself over her clothing, but she could feel her cold hands on her bare skin. It was very disconcerting.

"You said you changed the frequency," she hissed at the Doctor. He sprang up quickly and grimaced, throwing a large white sheet at Rose.

"Well, I did. For me. Amy wasn't in the TARDIS at the time, so…you know…" he finished lamely, gesturing towards Amy, who was still frozen in the doorway, eyes covered. Rose growled at him and wrapped the sheet around her body tightly. She could see the sheet cut through the image of her clothing and distort it slightly, purple jumper and white sheet vying for visual supremacy.

"Is it safe? Can I look again?" Amy complained from the door.

"Yes, I'm covered," Rose answered and Amy dropped her hand but stayed frozen in place, glancing between the two of them uncomfortably.

"Should I leave you two alone, then" Amy asked, observing the mirroring blush in Rose and the Doctor's faces. Rose shook her head quickly.

"No, no. Nothing was going on. He was giving me a physical. No not like that!" she exclaimed, noting the expression on Amy's face. "He was completing some medical scans on me. Since I passed out."

Amy glanced over at him and then back to her, eyebrows raised in question. She thought better of it and moved on with a loud throat clear.

"Well, I said goodbye to Bracewell. He thought that you were going to deactivate him, Doctor. Because he was made by the Daleks. I told him I was going to come get you and it would take a while, so if we could go, that'd be helpful, yeah?" The Doctor nodded dismissively and she started backing towards the doorway slowly.

"Right. So. I'm gonna go…have a bite to eat or something. I'll leave you two to finish up…whatever this is," she finished, waving her hand between them. Rose started to protest, but Amy had turned and fled the room rather quickly. With a groan, Rose flopped backwards onto the bed, keeping the sheet clutched tight to her chest.

"Oh, that went great," she grumbled and the Doctor snickered. "Oh, you can laugh. You're not the one stark naked on the slab."

"It wasn't that bad," he tried but Rose snorted at him, fighting the smile tugging on the corner of her lips at the hilarity of it.

"It was bad enough. Now tonight she's not going to stop badgering me about it. She already thinks that we're…" she trailed off and when he looked at her, she quickly averted her eyes. No need to get into that. He watched her for a moment longer before turning to the monitors, studying them.

"The scans are finished. Your results are in," he offered, eyes narrowed at the screen. "Your body is in remarkable condition."

"Thanks," Rose quipped.

"No, I mean, remarkable condition. Your white blood cell count is almost double what it should be, but it's not because you're fighting anything. You're in perfect health. Your body just repairs itself constantly, even repairs normal signs of aging. Your organs are the organs of a twenty year old."

"But that doesn't make sense," Rose said, frowning and he shrugged, peering at the screen.

"Amy said you don't age. But that's not even the most astonishing part. Your brain, Rose. Your brain has changed. It's not a human brain anymore. Well it is. Except it isn't. Except it is. I can't explain it." He tapped the screen a few times with his finger angrily.

"Your cranial capacity is the same, but the neurons are firing at a more rapid pace. You're neural pathways have been rerouted by something, allowing for the increased telepathic abilities."

"That doesn't explain what happened when I saw the Daleks, though," Rose pointed out and he turned to look at her, leaned against the counter with his arms crossed.

"The best I could guess is that it was some kind of reaction to seeing them. Like a failsafe. It might have just been your fear triggering it, or it might be specific to Daleks. We may never know. But Rose…" He pushed off the counter and took a few steps towards her, stopping when he was standing right over her on the table, staring down at her.

"Your eyes. They glowed. Like they did when you looked into the heart of the TARDIS. And you communicate with her. Your mind feels golden when I sense it, the same gold as her." Rose stared up at him, breathing shallow as she weighed the implications.

"Are you saying I did this? That Bad Wolf gave me these body changes?" she whispered and he narrowed his eyes, backing away a few feet.

"I don't know. And I hate not knowing," he muttered and Rose rolled her eyes at him. She hopped off the bed, sheet still held tightly.

"Right. Well, I feel fine, yeah? So leave. I'm gonna change." She waited for him to go before dropping the sheet and reaching for her clothes.

* * *

When Rose opened the infirmary door, dressed again, she expected to find the Doctor waiting on the outside, bouncing theories off the wall. The hallway was empty. The floor and walls had begun to hum slightly- the TARDIS had entered the time vortex. She tried to make her way towards the console room, but the TARDIS was being particularly difficult. She kept turning into more hallways. She found her own room once, still stubbornly placed across the hall from his, and the library a few times. She never stumbled across the kitchen or Amy.

"What are you up to?" she grumbled at the ceiling and the TARDIS buzzed against her consciousness. After a while, she gave up and entered the library on a whim. The library always had a sense of calm about it. It was dominated by soaring shelves, stories high, covered with books and bottles and souvenirs of the universe. Everything in the library was the same as it had always been, despite the desktop change of the TARDIS. It felt ancient and wise with just the right amount of cheeky intrigue. Once, John had joked that if the TARDIS library were a person, it would be Dumbledore.

A ruffling of papers alerted Rose to a section a few rows down.

"Hello?" she called and a book slammed shut. The Doctor's floppy hair popped around the corner of the fifth row, before the rest of him followed into view.

"Oh, hello Rose. I was just reading up on trans-species genetic transfer rates of sustainability. Gloomy read, if I'm honest," he rambled and tossed the book he was holding behind him animatedly. "Everyone dies in the end."

"I'm not going to die, Doctor," Rose replied, raising an eyebrow at him. She saw a glimpse of fear flicker through his eyes before he scoffed heartily at her.

"Who said anything about you? This is research for the subspecies of Karal on Delta Prime 5!" Rose rolled her eyes and went to sit at one of the plushy couches near the fireplace. She patted the cushion next to her as she spoke.

"Doctor. I'm fine. I've been living like this for years now. Until we understand more of what's going on, let's just not worry about it, yeah?" He sat down next to her, his face serious.

"I can't not worry about it, Rose," he said quietly and she was suddenly hyper aware of how close his body was to hers. She hesitated, torn between the ranges of emotions that she hadn't yet sorted through. Her body decided for her though, and she leaned into him, placing her head on his shoulder. He stilled, as though she would flee should he move. When they touched, the golden energy in her mind flared gently.

He could feel her mind flare to life when her temple rested on his shoulder. With effort, he kept himself from reaching out and clinging to her desperately. Her mind was a golden shining light at the end of the tunnel that he couldn't walk down. It ached, to be so close and yet forbidden, but he clamped down on his desire and sat quietly.

"It's nice to feel someone else," she murmured, almost to herself. Feeling someone else's consciousness near her own was blissful after years of silence. She'd grown used to it, but it still hadn't healed the gaping wound, just dulled the pain. And now, feeling other consciousnesses after so long was soothing. She could always feel and interact with the TARDIS, but she was starting to sense the dark, murky blue consciousness of the Doctor hovering at the peripheral of her awareness. She reached out with wispy tendrils, and brushed against his mind. She felt him shudder under her temple and jerked her head up off his shoulder.

"Oh my God, I am so sorry," she said, aghast and jumped up from the couch. "I should never have done that." She started backing towards the exit as he watched her, similarly struggling with words.

"No, Rose. It's ok," he began but she cut him off.

"No, it's not! I got carried away. I am so sorry," she repeated and paused, hand on the doorknob behind her. "I'm gonna go." He stood quickly, but she was already out of the door.

* * *

The TARDIS luckily showed her bedroom door after only one turn. She fled inside, shutting it behind her. She thought of locking it, but Amy was probably still wandering and she couldn't lock her out.

What had she been thinking, trying to mentally interact with him like that? It was completely unacceptable, regardless of the situation. She hadn't asked permission. She had consciously tried to seek out a mental connection with a man with whom her relationship was tentative at best.

She wished Amy would return. Knowing she would eventually, Rose quickly stripped off her clothes for the second time that day, throwing them in a pile in the corner. She absently removed her TARDIS vial, vortex manipulator and remaining jewelry, piling it on the bedside table and grabbed the shirt she'd slept in the night before off the wingback chair. The wrinkled blue Oxford. His shirt. She didn't give herself time to think about it. She just slipped it on, grateful to be wrapped in something familiar after a day like this, and slipped into bed, exhausted. She was asleep by the time Amy returned to the room. Not wanting to disturb her, Amy simply changed her clothes and slipped into bed next to her.

"Goodnight Rose," she whispered and followed Rose to sleep.

* * *

Thank you so much for reading! I'm not a huge Victory of the Daleks fan, so it was quite a challenge to get through this chapter, but I did it! Netflix and Hulu removing Doctor Who didn't help with my timeline either, but I have a hard copy of season 5 so that shouldn't be a problem anymore!

Please leave any and all thoughts on it below! I love hearing from you all! If I haven't responded to you directly, know that I love hearing from you all and appreciate every comment!

Now we move on to much more fun things: River Song, Weeping Angels, and something Rose hasn't seen since she was pulled through to this universe…a crack in the skin of the universe.


	8. The Time of the Angels: Part one

_Rose breathed in deeply, inhaling the scent of musky cinnamon and reveled in the feeling of the hot finger pads strategically placed around her face. She kept her eyes closed but felt the corners of her lips quirk upward at his proximity. She inched forward in her seated position on the floor, closer towards his body seated across from her._

 _"Rose, concentrate," John chided gently, but she could hear the grin in his voice. "Try to reach out with your mind and touch mine."_

 _They had begun her telepathic training a few weeks ago. They had connected their minds during a particularly intimate moment, leaving Rose shocked and John breathless. He had been rabid to try again, and despite her trepidation, it had turned out to be a fun, relaxing way to bond as a couple, if unsuccessful. She hadn't been able to reconnect with him mentally again willingly. It had happened a few times since in moments of passion, but never on command. Despite the failure, John was a patient teacher, and incredibly determined._

 _Rose kept her eyes closed and struggled to expand her mind from the confines of her skull. She wasn't entirely sure of what he was trying to press for her to do, but she attempted to push her consciousness towards his. She felt nothing but her own thoughts. Which were currently not occupied with her exercises. She attempted to inch closer to him, and risked a glance at him beneath her eyelashes._

 _His slightly freckled face was concentrated on his task, dark eyes obscured beneath thick eyelashes. His cheekbones looked sharp to the touch beneath a gorgeous frill of mussed brown hair. Rose opened her eyes fully and bit her lip, reaching out to touch his face, running a thumb across his temple as she did so._

 _When her finger grazed his skin, she felt a flare of gold in the back of her mind, and was intimately aware of him. His consciousness. She could feel it, dark maroon and full of depth that she couldn't begin to fathom._

 _Warm brown eyes snapped open to meet hers with a gasp. His eyes were full of pain and longing with a dash of pride. Rose grinned at him, tongue between teeth at her success. He kept his grip on the sides of her face and surged forward, pressing hungry lips to hers. She clung to him and kissed him back, sensing his desperation for her. Their minds rubbed together, gold and red, mimicking the movement of their colliding bodies._

 _It had been seven months since John and herself had been thrown into the oddness of their relationship. Since they had been forced into this arrangement. A month or so ago, Rose had finally broken down and allowed him to breach the arm's length she had been keeping him at. Truth be told, she had ached for him desperately, but the pain of his betrayal had made even looking at his face difficult. She couldn't imagine seeing him without any of the baggage attached. Without any of the hurt._

 _She hadn't reached it yet. Sometimes, a small part of her mind still imagined that it was him she was kissing. Him she was holding. Him she fell asleep next to and him she made love to. In those moments, she would sternly scold herself back into submission, remind herself that this was John she was holding, John she was falling in love with._

 _Rose pulled back, gulping for air, and threaded her finger in his gorgeous hair to pull back his head a bit as he attempted to move hungrily to her throat._

 _"So is that what it's like for you? To feel other people?" she breathed and he sat back, running a hand absently through his hair to muss it further._

 _"Well…yes and no. I mean what that was –what we just did- is certainly not what happens every time," he grinned cheekily at her and his voice dipped lower. She rolled her eyes at him._

 _"Figure that one, yeah?"_

 _"But what you felt, the surge of presence and the flash of trans-emotional response, that's roughly what I feel," he answered, shrugging and stood quickly, pulling her up along with him._

 _"I'm sorry, trans-what?"_

 _"Trans-emotional response. You felt a sudden heat and, um, lust, right?" he said uncertainly, rubbing his neck uncomfortably. His cheeks tinged slightly. Rose leaned forward, pressing her body against his and winked up at him._

 _"That was you?" He grinned and bent his head down to quickly press a kiss to her lips before turning away to rummage for something on his desk._

 _They had moved into a new flat a week ago, just the two of them. They had spent time flitting between Pete and Jackie's mansion and Rose's tiny utilitarian flat when they'd first been stranded here. When Rose had come home to an apartment that had been torn apart by a crazed half time lord looking for just the right piece he needed, she had made up her mind to find something new and big enough for the two of them. They had settled on a penthouse loft with two bedrooms, an expansive open living area, and exclusive garden roof access._

 _This had given them the space they both needed for their respective work. More importantly, it provided the space they still sometimes needed from each other. This was all still so new for the two of them. Rose knew that John never had the doubts she did, and he certainly didn't experience the bouts of extreme and violent terror in the face of recurring waking nightmares of being left behind, but he seemed to know exactly when she needed space and when she needed to be held. That was something he was always good at._

 _John found what he'd been looking for on his desk and spun back to her, pointing his newly retrieved sonic screwdriver at her. He activated it and began to scan her up and down, blue light whirring in her face. Rose scrunched her nose at the light, but he didn't notice. After a moment, he pulled it back to check the readings and hummed in his throat at what he saw._

 _"What?"_

 _"Hmm? Nothing," he mumbled. He glanced up at her and back down at the screwdriver readings, clearly distracted. He turned back to the desk and began to scribble down his findings._

 _"Whatever. Chinese or Indian for dinner?" Rose asked on her way out of the room. She knew better than to try to re-engage him when he was in a state like this._

 _"Yeah, pizza sounds great," he answered absently and Rose rolled her eyes and went to place their order._

* * *

 _"You have to come out sometime," Rose called from the den, feet curled up under herself on the couch, pizza growing cold in front of her. She heard a shuffling noise from his office followed by a few minor crashes before his face popped around the doorframe. He was wearing his glasses and his eyes were glazed over with fast disappearing concentration. His thin frame followed his face in, looking the worse for wear as well, in just his blue trousers and maroon v neck shirt, sans jacket. Barefoot and tired. Rose smiled pityingly in his direction and motioned to the box on the table._

 _"I have pizza," she said. He rubbed his eyes under his glasses as he shuffled further into the room._

 _"I thought you ordered sushi," he responded, confused and flopped onto the couch next to her with a sigh. She rolled her eyes at him in mock exasperation and opened up the box, snagging a piece of pizza before he could start in on it._

 _"You never listen to yourself speak, do you?" she giggled and watched him pull the entire box onto his lap to dig in._

 _"I always listen to myself," he attempted over a full mouth of pizza. "It's one of the great joys of being me." She snorted and watched him polish off his second piece._

 _"So what was that scan you ran on me earlier?" He swallowed and glanced over at her before reaching for another slice._

 _"Well," he started, drawing it out nervously. "You know how you can almost see my consciousness when we connect?"_

 _"Yeah?" she grinned._

 _"Well I can't get a good read on you. I can feel you, but it's like I can't see you at all. It's just light and warmth and touch, but no color or sight. And that's not normal. For me anyways. I'm sure it could be normal for other people," he finished absently._

 _Rose ignored the uncomfortable feeling in her stomach at his words. Light and heat inside of her head sounded oddly familiar. She could feel the golden energy in her mind. She knew it was gold. She knew what it was. How did he not? Was it just light to him? Was it just warmth without sight? She swallowed, debating, before crawling over to tuck herself under his arm as he snacked on the couch._

 _"You know what I see for you?" she asked quietly and he glanced down at her, eyebrow raised in question. She trailed her finger up his chest as she spoke, listening to his single heartbeat. "I see maroon."_

 _"Maroon? Really?" he asked, looking back up. "Huh."_

 _"What?"_

 _"Well. It's just that I didn't used to be maroon. Being part human must have had a significant enough effect on me to change the color of my psyche." He paused and gazed off distractedly. "Just different enough."_

 _Rose leaned her head on him gently and they sat in silence for a moment longer. She wouldn't tell him about the gold in her mind. Not now anyways. Right now, they would just be._

 _"I like you different."_

* * *

Rose could feel the light from the lamp spilling onto her sleeping face, but she was not in the mood to open her eyes. She was normally up early, but wrapped in his shirt- if she was willing to admit that it was his-, curled up under the warm, plush comforter, and still feeling humiliated from their interactions the night before. She wasn't ready to face the day.

She felt the pressure of someone sit down next to her in the bed and heard the quiet _thunk_ of a tea mug being placed on a bed side table. Gently, a hand began to stroke her back soothingly. Summoning up the courage she'd need to face the day, she cracked open one eye.

Amy was staring down at her pityingly, rubbing her back gently and already dressed for the day in some of Rose's old clothes again. Large, flowy red shirt and black skirt. Grey tights and even shoes. Rose groaned and squeezed her eyes shut again. If Amy was awake and already dressed for the day, it must be really late in the day. And Rose was most certainly avoiding the day.

"I think it's time to wake up Rose," Amy tried, and attempted to fold back the covers just enough to see Rose's face. Rose grumbled something incoherently and tried to pull them back over her head. Amy sighed and quickly lost what little patience she had.

"Don't be a child Rose. Honestly," she started, but Rose stopped struggling and allowed her to pull the covers down. She raised an eyebrow when she noticed that she wore his shirt to bed again, but refrained from commenting. Rose glanced around the room for something to look at, blinking experimentally.

"What happened yesterday, anyways?" Amy asked curiously and Rose groaned again, covering her face with her hands. "That bad?"

Rose nodded from behind her hands and Amy snickered. When Rose removed her hands, she looked forlornly over at Amy.

"Can we please just go back to our time? To our house, and Rory, and Earth? 2010? Please?" Rose tried but Amy shook her head, intentionally brushing off the Rory comment. She wasn't going to think about him right now.

"Nope. We are staying. And you and him need to work out whatever –this- is," she said, waving her hand through the air indiscriminately. "Because it's getting a little hard to figure out what rooms are safe to enter around here."

Rose colored deeply and tried to pull the covers over her head again. Amy laughed and pulled them back down so she could see her face.

"We didn't do anything. He was just running tests."

"And then something with the two of you upset you enough that I'm awake before you are. Which is frankly, a little shocking," Amy finished and raised her eyebrows at Rose, daring her to contradict her. When she didn't, Amy stood up and held out her hand to Rose.

"Look, the only way to move past this is to face him. He's been an absolute mess since I saw him this morning and I don't think he's slept at all. Wait, does he sleep?" Rose shook her head at her and Amy shrugged before continuing. "He's been finding excuses to walk past the room and I think he's waiting for you to be up. So you wake up and go shower. I'll meet you in the control room, yeah? Half hour?"

Without waiting for an affirmative, and secure in the knowledge that Rose would listen to her, Amy swiftly left the room. When she shut the door behind her, she turned to the Doctor, shifting nervously in the hallway outside and shot him a furtive thumbs up.

* * *

When Rose finally gathered the courage to leave the room, she had dressed in her battle armor. The TARDIS had graciously returned her jump gear- newly washed of whale vomit. Black from head to toe, hair pulled back in utilitarian fashion and tokens in place. TARDIS vial, time vortex manipulator, stunner, and sonic screwdriver. She was leaving the backpack for once, opting for sticking things in pockets and belts. She zipped the form fitting military jacket up to the chin and took a brave step into the hallway.

Amy, leaning against the wall opposite of their door with her arms crossed, snickered at her appearance and pushed herself off the wall as Rose closed the door behind her.

"Absolutely not," she said, grinning and zipped her jacket down to mid torso, revealing the grey tank beneath. "You look like you're going to battle, Rose. It's not that bad."

"It is that bad," Rose grumbled and Amy rolled her eyes. She took her arm to steer her towards the console room.

"Look, you're both embarrassed. It's fine. He promised we'll do something easy today. Something light."

"Knowing him, that means a museum," Rose muttered and Amy sighed.

"Figures. I still haven't been to a planet yet. He promised me a planet."

"You don't get what you want with the Doctor. But he doesn't get what he wants either. Only person who gets what they want is the TARDIS," Rose grinned and pointed up as the TARDIS walls hummed pleasantly and her consciousness brushed hers gently.

* * *

When they entered the control room, the Doctor was tinkering on a bit of TARDIS the size of a roll of coins, seated on the jump seat. He jumped to his feet when he saw them, dropping the machinery onto the glass floor with a heavy thud, despite the piece's minute size. He scooped it off the floor quickly and slipped it into his pocket before smoothing his shirt down nervously. Amy snickered and pulled Rose down the stairs by her hand and into the heart of the TARDIS.

"I'm glad to see you awake, Rose," the Doctor said formally and Amy rolled her eyes at him.

"Look, whatever happened between you two, can we please just move on? I'm starting to feel like the third wheel here," she complained jokingly.

"The argument could be made that third wheels are actually very useful," the Doctor started as Rose said, "We aren't together, so you can't be a third wheel." They both stopped and looked over at the other, curious at their choice.

"What do you mean, third wheels are useful? Do you think she's a third wheel?"

"She is if we're together, which you seem to think we are not," the Doctor answered huffily and Amy began to back up a few steps from them.

"In what universe are we together?" Rose asked, ignoring the annoying flush of joy at his mention of them as together. They were not together. They we're barely functioning as friends at the moment. She could see red tinge his cheeks at her comment and stamped down the twinge of guilt at her harshness.

"Obviously not this one," he muttered, turning away from her to the console grumpily.

"Third wheel here," Amy complained, raising her hand. Rose scowled as she crossed her arms, annoyed. The Doctor glanced over at Amy and back at the TARDIS console. "Seriously, you two need to get a grip."

"Sorry," Rose and the Doctor mumbled in unison and frowned at the other. Amy rolled her eyes and turned to the Doctor, clasping her hands together in front of her.

"Now, you said you were taking us somewhere nice and easy today. Where would that be?"

"Ten quid it's a museum," Rose quipped and raised her eyebrow as the Doctor shot her a look before rubbing his hands together excitedly, bouncing on his heels. His moods had always been mercurial and he seemed to have recovered in record time. He quickly flipped a few switches and twirled a crank on the far end of the console, grinning at the humming time rotor. The TARDIS groaned out her landing and the Doctor looked between the two women mischievously.

"Want to have a bit of fun?" he asked before turning on his heel and exiting the TARDIS. Amy and Rose looked at each other quickly before following him out the door.

The TARDIS had landed in a great hall of some kind. The walls were constructed of a creamy white stone and appeared well aged. Gothic spires and arches crisscrossed the vast ceiling and stained glass was in the windows. The room had several tables littered about with placards and various objects, some glass encased, some not. All beautiful and ancient. Rose held out her hand to Amy as they both surveyed the room.

"Pay up," she said, but Amy pushed past her to follow the Doctor as he weaved his way through the room, leaving Rose to follow behind.

* * *

"Wrong. Wrong," he said, pointing at a few things, continuing on his way. Rose raised her eyebrows at some of the items he was pointing out as he went. She'd been following and observing silently for the past few exhibits and was beginning to get the hang of his system.

"Bit right," he began when he pointed at a Slitheen communicator wrist strap.

"Mostly wrong," Rose finished, peering at the plaque, and he raised his eyebrows at her appreciatively before continuing his hunt.

"I love museums, he hummed happily.

"Yeah, great," Amy sighed, leaning on a case, watching as Rose joined the Doctor's game, internally relieved that they were at least talking civilly. "Can we go to a planet now? Big spaceship, Churchill's bunker. You promised me a planet next." The Doctor and Rose continued their momentum, forcing Amy to abandon her spot to stay in hearing range.

"Amy, this isn't any old asteroid. It's the Delerium Archive. The final resting place of the headless monks. The biggest museum ever." He held out his hands before running to peer excitedly into the next glass case.

"You've got a time machine. What do you need museums for?" Amy asked and Rose grinned back at her before moving on.

"Think about it," she mouthed as the Doctor stopped to point at something and complain loudly.

"Wrong. Very wrong," he scowled before abruptly slitting into a smile at the contents of the next case over. "Ooo, one of mine! Also one of mine! Or one of ours I should say," he finished, gently elbowing Rose, who had stopped next to him to view the contents. It was a mannequin arm, dated Earth 2005. He winked at her before continuing on. Amy took his spot next to Rose to gaze at the arm.

"Oh, I see. It's how you keep score," she said and leaned towards Rose. "And you're on the scoreboard."

Rose rolled her eyes and looked up to see him leaned on a glass case, hands crossed on top of it, staring contemplatively at the box within it.

"Doctor?" she asked as she made her way over to him. His demeanor had changed to a more pensive, almost wary stature. Amy sighed loudly when she saw what he was looking at.

"Oh great, an old box," she quipped and followed Rose over to him.

"It's from one of the old starliners. A Home Box."

"Starliners. That's 51st century, right?" Rose asked and the Doctor nodded at her, a ghost of a smile on his lips at her knowledge.

"What's a Home Box?" Amy asked.

"Like a black box on a plane, except it homes. Anything happens to the ship, the Home Box flies home with all the flight data."

"So?" Amy asked and the Doctor pointed through the glass at the top of the box.

"The writing, the graffiti."

"That's Old High Gallifreyan," Rose said, agape at it. John had taught her a bit of Gallifreyan over the years, but it had been decades since she had seen it written. These characters stuck out in her memory though. He'd only written them for her once, but for some reason she knew them. The Doctor nodded at her again and looked back at Amy's uncomprehending face.

"The lost language of the Time Lords," he explained. "There were days, there were many days, these words could burn stars and raise empires, and topple gods." Amy look at him, intrigued.

"What does it say?" He clenched his jaw, and swept the room with his eyes before answering hesitantly, avoiding Rose's face.

"Hello sweetie." Rose raised an eyebrow, but decided it was better to leave it alone. She took a step back and eyed the glass case critically, looking for weak points. She pulled her sonic screwdriver from her back pocket and scanned the case.

"500 millimeter thick, ballistic proof. Plasma proof as well. Hm. Wonder who that's for. Sontorran?" She glanced up at the Doctor with an eyebrow quirked in question before tossing her sonic to her other hand and extracting her stunner.

"Step back a bit, yeah?" she requested and both Amy and the Doctor moved back a safe distance, watching her warily. Carefully, she aimed both her stunner and sonic at the weak spot left of center on the glass. She pulled the trigger at the same time as the sonic whirred to life.

With a metallic squeal, the glass shattered, sending shards flying out several feet. Amy yelped and jumped backwards and the Doctor flinched slightly. An alarm began to wail loudly once the glass settled. She grimaced at him as he held out his arms exasperatedly at her.

"Well, don't just stand there. Grab the box!" Rose cried and grabbed Amy's hand, tugging her back down the gallery. She could hear the Doctor running behind her, his steps uneven as he shifted the heavy weight of the Home Box in his arms. She glanced back at him, grinning and gasping as familiar adrenaline flooded her veins and noticed two security guards chasing them. She scrunched her nose and bolted towards the TARDIS, keeping tight to Amy's hand.

She pushed the door open and ushered both Amy and the Doctor inside before slamming the door quickly in the faces of the guards. The Doctor took the steps to the console two at a time and slammed the box on the console loudly.

"You stole something!" Amy cried at Rose, who was leaned next to the Doctor on the console, carefully observing his actions. She was fully immersed in the mystery and high on adrenaline, previous quarrel momentarily forgotten.

"Yes she did. Bad Rose. Very bad Rose," The Doctor remarked absentmindedly and high fived Rose, both still staring down at the box. The guards could be heard pounding in vain on the TARDIS door and Amy glanced back at it nervously before taking the Doctor's other side to watch as he started to plug the box into the console's monitor.

"Why are we doing this?"

"Because someone on a spaceship twelve thousand years ago is trying to attract my attention. Let's see if we can get the security playback working," he muttered and pulled down the lever. After a moment of static, a woman in a slinky black dress pulled down her winged sunglasses to wink at the camera. She looked like a character out of a sixties Bond film, but not a Bond girl. More like the female version of Bond. Rose raised her eyebrows, impressed and Amy giggled when she winked at the camera.

The Doctor twisted the cord a bit until the scene changed to the back of the woman, standing near a door hatch of what Rose knew must be the starliner.

"Party's over, Doctor Song. Yet still you're on board," a sinister voice said off screen. The woman turned and removed her sunglasses. She didn't seem cornered or nervous. On the contrary, she smirked knowingly at them, lips pursed and when she addressed him, it was as though she was speaking to a child.

"Sorry Alistair. I needed to see what was in your vault. Do you have any idea what's down there? Any of you? Because I'll tell you something. This ship won't reach its destination."

"Wait till she runs. Don't make it look like an execution," the man answered to what Rose presumed was his men. The screen only showed the woman- Doctor Song. She looked at her wristwatch and began to rattle off a series of numbers, as though to no one.

"Triple seven five slash three four nine by ten. Zero twelve slash acorn." The woman looked at the camera and fixed her hair with a grin and Rose glanced at the Doctor.

"Were those coordinates?" Rose asked him quietly, and he quickly brushed past her, quickly flipping some switches on the console. Outside, the TARDIS began to groan and the time rotor started to pulse as they entered the time vortex.

"Oh, and I could do with an air corridor," the woman said on screen and Amy grabbed the handles, pulling it closer to her.

"What was that? What did she say?"

"Coordinates," he replied, absorbed in what he was doing.

Rose quickly squeezed next to Amy to watch the woman on screen. The Doctor was beginning to land the TARDIS and had started to run towards the door, pulling it open.

"Like I said on the dance floor, you might want to find something to hang onto," she said as the air lock opened, sucking her backward on the screen. Behind them, they could hear the mechanized sound of the door open, feel the cold gust of air from the console. Rose and Amy looked back at the door just as the woman they had been watching on the screen fell into the TARDIS, on top of the Doctor. He froze in place on the floor, cautiously looking at the woman on top of him.

"Doctor?" Rose asked tentatively. Amy crossed her arms.

"River?" the Doctor asked the woman. She pushed herself off of him and turned to watch as the ship she'd just flew out of took off.

"Follow that ship."

The Doctor ran back to the console quickly, the woman hot on his heels. Amy jumped backwards as the woman flew past her, toeing off her hot red stilettos and slinging them over the monitor handles. Rose followed them up, watching as the two flew into separate actions, vying for control of the console. When the TARDIS began to churn as they hurdled through space, both Amy and Rose clung to the railing to stay standing.

"Can you flip the oscillator switch please?" the woman asked Rose calmly, gripping the edge of the console. Rose raised an eyebrow at her as she was flown to the left.

"Leave the oscillator alone!" the Doctor cried, madly piloting. The woman ignored him.

"The red one. Excuse me, the- oh fine, I'll do it," she said and extended her leg up and over the console to flip a red switch to the left. Rose caught a glimpse of bright red painted toes. She checked the monitor afterwards for an update.

"They've gone into warp drive. We're losing them. Stay close," she commanded and Rose could hear the stress in the Doctor's voice when he answered.

"I'm trying," he snapped, pressing some more buttons. They were all thrown violently forward suddenly by a particularly nasty turn. Rose grabbed Amy's arm to keep her in place.

"Use the stabilizers," the women called out from her post.

"There aren't any stabilizers," the Doctor growled, still frantically interacting with the console.

"The blue switches," she reminded him. The Doctor's voice pitched upward in frustration.

"The blue ones don't do anything, they're just blue!" he replied.

"Just hit the damn buttons!" Rose cried, maintaining her death grip on Amy's arm. The woman began to walk her way around the console towards the Doctor, speaking in overly patient tones, as though to a child.

"Yes, they're blue. They're the blue stabilizers!" She pressed down on the button and the TARDIS abruptly stopped shaking. Rose dropped Amy's arm and the both slumped into the jump seat, exhausted and glaring at the Doctor.

"See?" Doctor Song grinned smugly at the Doctor before throwing the panting girls a covert wink. Rose raised her eyebrows at her but was too winded to react beyond that. The Doctor pouted and began to jiggle random buttons angrily.

"Yeah. Well, it's just bring now, isn't it? They're boring-ers. They're blue boring-ers," he grumbled and glared at the woman.

"Doctor, how come she can fly the TARDIS?" Rose asked curiously from the jump seat.

"You call that flying the TARDIS? HA!" the Doctor scoffed and Rose shifted Amy off of her so that she could get up. The woman was still working on the monitor and seemed to have taken the Doctor's comment as a challenge.

"Ok. I've mapped the probability vectors, done a fold-back on the temporal isometry, charted the ship to its destination, and…" she pulled the monitor over to the Doctor and Rose to inspect, "parked us right alongside." She smirked at them and Amy giggled at her face.

"Parked us. We haven't landed," he said, peering at the screen in disbelief.

"Of course we've landed. I just landed her," she answered, eyebrows raised. The woman glanced back at Rose and grinned at her. Rose nodded appreciatively, more impressed with her ability to surprise the Doctor than anything. The Doctor looked crestfallen.

"But…it didn't make the noise."

"What noise?" the woman asked, laughing at his puppy dog face of disappointment.

"You know," he mumbled and proceeded to wheeze intermittently, looking between the women for confirmation. He received mirroring looks of amusement. The woman stopped him.

"It's not supposed to make that noise. You leave the brakes on," she said patiently and went back to what she was doing.

"Yeah. Well. It's a brilliant noise. I love that noise." He frowned at the woman and started for the door. "Come along Pond. Rose. Let's have a look."

"No, wait! Environment checks," the woman called and the Doctor spun back, annoyed.

"Oh yes, sorry. Environment checks." He promptly opened the TARDIS door and stuck his head outside it. "Nice out." The woman ignored his sarcasm and began to read off the monitor.

"We're somewhere in the Garn Belt. There's an atmosphere. Early indications suggest that-"

"We're on Alfava Metraxis, the seventh planet of the Dundra System. Oxygen rich atmosphere, all toxins in the soft band, eleven hour day and chances of rain later," he finished smugly.

"He thinks he's so hot when he does that," the woman said to Rose, nudging her and rolling her eyes. Rose cracked a grin at her, slowly letting the shock wear off. This woman's mannerisms were oddly familiar but Rose was sure she'd never seen her before. Amy leaned towards the woman on the other side.

"How come you can fly the TARDIS?" Amy asked and the Doctor made his way towards the jump seat to sit and wait on the women huffily.

"Oh, I had lessons from the very best," she answered and Rose could see the Doctor straighten up a bit out of the corner of her eye.

"Well, yeah," he said from the corner, preening slightly.

"It's a shame you were busy that day," the woman replied smartly and winked at Rose conspiratorially. Rose was taken aback but the woman had spun around to the Doctor before she could register Rose's reaction, taking her heels from the monitor and started towards the door.

"Right then, why did they land here?"

"They didn't land," the Doctor replied, getting up to follow her towards the door. Amy trailed behind them, but Rose leaned against the console with her arms crossed, observing through slightly narrowed eyes.

"Sorry?" the woman called back, opening the door.

"You should've checked the Home Box. It crashed," the Doctor finished. He watched her step out of the TARDIS and promptly shut the door behind her, locking her out. He glanced at Amy and then locked gazes with Rose's whiskey colored narrowed eyes, peering at him clinically from the console. With visible effort he walked purposefully back towards the console. He could feel Amy mirroring Rose's look and stance from behind him. It was unnerving having two of them.

"Explain," Rose said quietly, raising a single eyebrow as she said it.

"Who is that and how did she do that museum thing?" Amy asked from behind him. He avoided their gazes and began to prep the TARDIS for departure, using it to ignore them.

"It's a long story and I don't know most of it. Off we go."

"What are you doing?" Amy asked and Rose scoffed.

"What does it look like he's doing? He's leaving." She tried to keep the bitter note out of her voice but his slight hand twitch told her she hadn't completely succeeded.

"She's got where she wants to go, let's go where we want to go," he replied loftily, spinning some dials.

"Are you basically running away?" Amy mocked, sticking out her lower lip for effect.

"Yep," he answered quickly and Rose narrowed her eyes.

"Why?" The Doctor glanced up to meet her eyes before looking back down again quickly.

"Because she's the future. My future." Rose snorted through her nose but didn't reply.

"Can you run away from that?" Amy asked thoughtfully.

"I can run away from anything I like. Time is not the boss of me."

"Hang on," Amy gasped and snapped her fingers. "Is that a planet out there?"

"Yes, of course it's a planet," the Doctor sneered and Rose watched his face shift rapidly from condescension to back pedaling, but it was too late.

"You promised me a planet!" Amy crowed and started for the door, grabbing Rose's hand and towing her along. "Five minutes!"

"Ok, five minutes," Rose allowed and heard the Doctor humph at being superseded for permission before following them quickly.

"But that's all, because I am telling you now, that woman is not dragging me into anything!" he interjected.

Rose laughed quickly and felt his hand slip into her free one as they exited the door.

* * *

The four of them stood at the bottom of a cliff, watching the remains of the starship burn itself out high above them. It had landed on some form of temple, with architecture that Rose hadn't encountered before in her time jumps. She inwardly thanked her self-consciousness for her apparel choice for the day. Her jump gear would come in handy for any sort of expedition. Regardless of what the Doctor said, this was going to be a long day. She could feel it.

"What caused it to crash? Not me," the woman asked, detached.

Nah, the airlock would've sealed seconds after you blew it. According to the Home Box, the warp engines had a phase shift. No survivors," the Doctor answered, just as clinically.

"A phase shift would have to be sabotage," Rose added and quelled a twinge of annoyance at the surprised look the Doctor threw her. She wished he would stop acting like it was a miracle that she could keep up with him. And this woman apparently.

"I did warn them," the woman sang smugly and pulled out a bulky black communicator from her bag.

"About what?" the Doctor asked but the woman ignored him.

"Well, at least the building was empty. Aplan temple. Unoccupied for centuries," she rambled, fiddling with the device.

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Amy asked excitedly. The Doctor grimaced, but conceded.

"Amy Pond, Rose Tyler, Professor River Song." The woman spun back and gasped.

"I'm going to be a professor someday, am I? How exciting!" she grinned and turned back to her device. "Spoilers."

"Yeah, but who is she and how did she do that? She just left you a note in a museum," Amy continued.

"Only way to get ahold of him, probably," Rose quipped and the woman grinned at her again.

"Two things guaranteed to show up in a museum. The Home Box of a category four starliner and sooner or later, him. It's how he keeps score."

"Ha!" Rose laughed loudly and slapped her hand over her mouth to keep from doubling over in hysterical laugher. Amy giggled and leaned towards River.

"I know! That's what Rose said!"

"It's hilarious, isn't it?" River added, scrunching her nose teasingly. The Doctor began to laugh loudly and insincerely behind them and pushed himself into their little circle.

"I'm nobody's taxi service. I'm not going to be there to catch you every time you feel like jumping out of a spaceship."

"And you are so wrong," the woman smirked and the Doctor huffed and walked away from the little clique they were forming.

"There's one survivor. There's a thing in the belly of that ship that can't ever die," River called back to him, and Rose watched him stop. River turned to Amy and nodded confidently. "Now he's listening."

She started to walk towards to crashed ship, talking on the communicator. "You lot in orbit yet? Yeah, I saw it land. I'm at the crash site. Try and hone in on my signal." She turned back and held up her communicator.

"Rose, can you sonic me? I need to boost the signal so we can use it as a beacon," River asked matter-of-factly and Rose pulled out her screwdriver, frowning slightly.

"What setting?"

"482," River called back and Rose obliged. River curtseyed in her direction and Rose turned to the Doctor, baffled. He looked nonchalant, but she had caught his narrowed concentrated look a split second before she turned. He was analyzing their interaction as much as she was for any information it could give him. But he didn't want Rose to know that.

"How'd she know about my sonic?" The Doctor shrugged, but before Rose could push farther, River interrupted them.

"We have a minute. Shall we?" River asked, coming back to their location and pulling a small blue diary from her bag. The face was paneled like the doors of the TARDIS and the same shade of blue. She flipped it open and began to flip through the pages.

"Where are we up to? Have we done the Bone Meadows yet?"

"What's the book?" Amy asked curiously, leaning forward to try to get a closer look.

"Stay away from it," the Doctor snapped and Amy leaned back quickly. Rose watched River reflexively pull the book closer to her body at his voice. This was something she wouldn't let anyone see.

"What is it though?" Amy persisted.

"Her diary," The Doctor answered grudgingly and River tsk-ed at him.

"Our diary," she corrected and Rose caught her eyes flick to her face for a moment, making the briefest of eye contact before returning to the diary. The Doctor grimaced at the term and also glanced at Rose quickly before looking off at nothing. There was something odd going on and she wasn't sure she knew what it was, but she wasn't getting a warning vibe off this woman. In fact, she seemed to quite like her, and Rose couldn't stop the persistent feeling of familiarity radiating off this woman like waves.

"Her past, my future. Time travel. We keep meeting in the wrong order," the Doctor explained. Behind them the wind started to whistle loudly and suddenly. Four whirling miniature tornados appeared for a brief moment and then they disappeared, leaving behind four soldiers in full combat gear. One of the men walked forward and began to address River. A man Rose recognized.

"You promised me an army, Doctor Song," he warned and River smiled.

"No, I promised you the equivalent of an army. This is the Doctor," she finished significantly and the Doctor mock saluted the man before shaking his outstretched hand.

"Father Octavian, Sir. Bishop, second class. Twenty clerics at my command. The troops are already in the drop ship and landing shortly." Rose poked her head around the Doctor and grinned at the bishop.

"Octavian?" The man's face split into a warm smile and he reached his hand out to shake hers eagerly. Rose again mentally thanked her earlier self for gearing up. This was the only way the clerics had ever seen her.

"Marion! I haven't seen you in years."

"It has been a while, Father. What are you doing here?" Rose asked and ignored the dual stares she could feel boring into the back of her head from the Doctor and Amy. She'd have to explain some things later. River didn't seem surprised at the turn of events, making Rose wonder what was inside that book about her.

"Doctor Song was helping us with a covert investigation. Has Doctor Song explained what we're dealing with?" Father Octavian asked, looking between her and the Doctor. They both shook their heads and River turned to them, closing her diary with a snap.

"Doctor, what do you know of the Weeping Angels?" River asked and Rose turned on Amy.

"Go back to the TARDIS, Amelia Pond, until I tell you it's safe."

* * *

Rose leaned against the camp table under one of the tents, and crossed her arms. The clerics had always been quick at setup and takedown of their base camps. During her time with UNIT, she'd done a few joint missions with them, mostly when their interests were aligned. After Father Octavian had saved her life on what was supposed to be a routine run, she'd started requesting to work with him alone. He was good at his job, quick and efficient like the rest of the church had become in this time.

"Marion, I haven't seen you since that narrow escape in the Brisbane Dead Zone," Father Octavian began, ducking his head to enter tented overhang. Rose pursed her lips at him and scrunched her nose.

"Don't remind me," she groaned. "Remember that rouge Clockwork Droid that gave us the slip? I never found it. Did you?"

Father Octavian chuckled and leaned against the table next to her, mimicking her stance and surveying the camp.

"No, I never did. I'm sure someone scavenged him for parts."

"They are beautiful," Rose sighed, remembering another time, ages ago. She smiled softly to herself at the memory. "Not that it stops everyone."

On the other side of camp, Rose could see the Doctor beginning to rifle through the cleric's equipment, pulling things out of boxes and unplugging things at random. Amy was trailing him, essentially aiding and abetting in his destruction. The clerics looked concerned and confused, but none of them felt confident enough to tell him to stop. Rose sighed heavily. Amy never listened to her. At least she was sticking close to the Doctor.

Father Octavian, having noticed the mayhem as well, pushed himself off the table.

"Come on, Marian. We'd better do the debriefing, don't you think?" Rose pushed off the table as well and together they began to head towards the Doctor and Amy.

"Shouldn't Doctor Song assist in that?" Rose asked curiously. She hadn't been told yet exactly why the clerics were working with her. She'd certainly never met her before. Father Octavian slowed slightly, but didn't falter in his step.

"She's in the drop ship, analyzing the ships data for us," he answered confidently. They stopped when they reached the Doctor and Amy. Rose crossed her arms and frowned at Amy's presence, but Amy was doing her best to ignore her. Father Octavian motioned for them to follow him towards the blocked entrance of the cliff face and they trailed after him.

"The Angel, as far as we know, is still trapped in the ship. Our mission is to get inside and neutralize it. We can't get through up top, we'd be too close to the drives." Father Octavian pulled out a portable screen and consulted the readings. "According to this, behind the cliff face there's a network of catacombs leading right up to the temple. We can blow through the base of the cliffs, get into the entrance of the chamber, then make our way up."

Father Octavian stopped at the edge of the cliff and looked up, tilting back his helmet to see to the top. The ship still smoldered above. The Doctor raised his eyebrows and sighed.

"Oh great," he quipped, his voice pitched upward. Rose rolled her eyes at him, but Father Octavian didn't notice the apparent sarcasm.

"Good, sir?"

"Catacombs. Probably dark ones. Dark catacombs. Great," he continued, and Rose could sense him growing sullen. Father Octavian shifted uncomfortably.

"Technically, I think it's called a maze of death," he continued and the Doctor dropped his head down in exasperation.

"You can stop any time you like."

A cleric called to Father Octavian and he excused himself. Rose looked back up at the cliff face, squinting to make out the edges of the ships outline in the rapidly fading light.

"He's right you know. It's a solid plan," she offered.

"You're not helping," the Doctor quipped. Rose shrugged and Amy hopped up on an unopened crate to sit and watch. Rose frowned in her direction and crossed her arms, waiting for Amy to explain why she hadn't stayed in the TARDIS. Amy chose to ignore her.

"You're letting people call you sir. You never do that. So, whatever a Weeping Angel is, it's really bad, yeah?" Rose cleared her throat loudly and waited for Amy's guilty face to turn towards her.

"What?" Amy asked huffily, and Rose leaned over on one hip, arms still crossed.

"You're still here. Which part of wait in the TARDIS till I tell you it's safe was so confusing?" Rose hissed and Amy stuck her tongue out at her.

"We don't have time for this," the Doctor grumbled as he inspected one of the open cases of equipment. Amy pouted mockingly at him.

"Ooo, you are all Mister Grumpy Face today," she ribbed and he rounded on her.

"A Weeping Angel, Amy, is the deadliest, most powerful, most malevolent life form evolution has every produced, and right now one of them is trapped in that wreckage and I'm supposed to-"

"We're," Rose corrected and he nodded before double taking in her direction.

"We're?"

"We're," Rose confirmed and her face dared him to correct her. He just turned back to Amy to continue his rant, though with considerable less steam.

"We're supposed to climb in after it with a screwdriver and a torch, and whatever Rose carries in that scary uniform of hers, and assuming we survive the radiation long enough-"

"And assuming the ship doesn't explode in our faces," Rose added.

"Yes that too. Assuming that, I have to do something incredibly clever which I haven't actually thought of yet. That's my day. That's what I'm up to. Any questions?"

"Why can't I be the one who does something clever?" Rose asked thoughtfully and his annoyed huff made it almost worth it.

"Fine, you can do the clever thing. Any other questions?"

"Who is River Song? Because she's someone from your future, and the way she talks to you, I've only ever seen Rose do that," Amy continued thoughtfully, and Rose tried to ignore the slight heat flaring in her cheeks at her statement. "She's kind of like, you know, heel boy. Who is she to you?"

The Doctor groaned and went back to hanging his head in frustration.

"Yes, you're right. I am definitely Mister Grumpy Face today."

"Doctor! Doctor?" Doctor Song poked her head out of the drop ship and scanned the area, waving in their direction when she spotted them. She'd changed out of the slinky black gown into combat fatigues. She looked ready for battle, and Rose couldn't help but admire it. A kindred spirit. Amy giggled a bit at the Doctors scowl.

"Oops, her indoors," she quipped and pushed herself off of the crate. The Doctor looked over at Rose, but she just motioned him forwards.

"After you."

"Father Octavian?" River called and then turned back into the ship. She knew they'd follow her.

"Why do they call him Father?" Amy asked, skipping a bit in her walk.

"He's their Bishop, they're his Clerics. It's the fifty first century," the Doctor reminded her.

"The church moved on," Rose added and shrugged at Amy's confused face.

* * *

Rose grimaced at the black and white grainy image on the screen before her. The Angels always sent chills up her spine.

"What do you think? It's from the security cameras in the Byzantium vault. I ripped it when I was on board. Sorry about the quality. It's four seconds. I put it on a loop," River explained and the Doctor leaned in close to the screen, examining it. The Angel had its back to the camera, hands covering its face as its head bowed downward. And it was frozen in place, made of stone. For the moment.

"Yeah, it's an Angel. Hands covering its face," the Doctor replied, gesturing at the image. Father Octavian stirred behind Rose.

"You've encountered the Angels before?" he asked and the Doctor nodded.

"Once, on Earth, a long time ago. But those were scavengers, barely surviving."

"And you, Marian?" Father Octavian asked and Rose threw a glance over her shoulder, mainly so she didn't have to acknowledge the odd looks the Doctor and Amy threw in her direction.

"Yeah, I've dealt with them before. The only being in the universe to kill you nicely." She repeated the words as route memory, her mind recalling the look on John's face as he described the Angels to her. His words floating through her thoughts. The Doctor smiled softly as the words brought back memories. Amy looked between Rose and the screen again, frowning.

"But it's just a statue."

"It's a statue when you see it," River explained and Rose shifted away from the wall she'd been leaning against.

"Where did it come from?" Rose asked and the Doctor leaned in closer to the screen, observing the grainy looped footage.

"Oh, pulled from the ruins of Razbahan, end of last century. It's been in private hands ever since. Dormant all that time," River said, consulting her notes.

"There's a difference between dormant and patient," the Doctor chided.

"What's that mean, it's a statue when you see it?" Amy asked, leaning towards Rose.

"The Weeping Angels can only move if they're unseen. So legend has it," River answered from across the room and Amy frowned at her answer. She had been asking Rose.

"No, it's not a legend, it's a quantum lock," Rose corrected and Rivers eyebrows rose a bit at her. "In the sight of any living creature the Angels literally cease to exist. They're just stone. The ultimate defense mechanism."

"What, being a stone?" Amy scoffed.

"Being a stone until you turn your back," the Doctor reminded her and Amy wondered fleetingly if she should've listened to Rose about staying in the TARDIS.

* * *

The Doctor hopped out of the drop ship; River, Rose, and Father Octavian trailing behind him as he rambled out flaws to their plans.

"The hyperdrive would've split on impact. The whole ship's going to be flooded with drive burn radiation, cracked electrons, gravity storms. Deadly to almost any living thing."

"Deadly to an Angel?" Father Octavian asked as the Doctor stopped in front of the cliff side entrance.

"Dinner to an Angel. The longer we leave it there, the stronger it will grow." He grimaced at the thought. "Who built that temple? Are they still around?"

"The Aplans. Indigenous life form. They died out four hundred years ago," River answered, consulting her communicator.

"Two hundred years later, the planet was terraformed. Currently, there are six billion human colonists," Father Octavian added and Rose felt a small sting of fear for them. This was a dangerous mission. If the Angel got out, it could wreak havoc on the colonists. The Doctor whistled in surprise at Father Octavian.

"You lot, you're everywhere! You're like rabbits! I'll never get done saving you," the Doctor smirked slightly, but Rose could see the concern in his eyes. This was too risky for her liking. Octavian seemed to share her anxiety.

"Sir, if there is a clear and present danger to the local population…" he grimaced at the thought and glanced to Rose to gauge her thoughts.

"Oh, there is. Bad as it gets," the Doctor confirmed and clapped his hands together. "Bishop, lock and load."

Father Octavian nodded and began to bark out orders. The clerics around him scattered, springing into action as River motioned for them to join her.

"Rose, Sweetie? I need you!" she called and Rose and the Doctor exchanged mildly shocked looks.

"Are you sweetie, or am I?" the Doctor asked, confused and Father Octavian glanced back at Rose over his shoulder.

"Rose?" he questioned mildly and Rose waved him off.

"Middle name."

"Anybody need me? Nobody?" Amy called sarcastically from the drop ship and Rose shot her a warning look.

"You should be in the TARDIS," she hissed at her as she passed the doorway, headed towards River's set up.

"You can't make me," Amy hissed back, and stuck out her tongue for good measure before grinning at her and ducking back into the drop ship. At least that was safer than outside, Rose thought and jogged a bit to catch back up with the Doctor and River.

* * *

Amy leaned up against a brace in the drop ship, letting her eyes drift lazily over the contents, reminding herself to be patient. Rose couldn't keep her here forever, and the Doctor would get too wrapped up in the mission to remember to banish her to the TARDIS. She just had to wait it out.

Her eyes glanced at the screen again and she narrowed her eyes at the image. The Angel had shifted slightly, its hands lowered and it was peeking out over its shoulder. She looked down at the screens timer and counted.

11:24. 11:25. 11:26. 11:27. 11:28. 11:24. 11:25…

* * *

"I found this. Definitive work on the Angels," River said and passed a thin, worn book to the Doctor, who immediately began to rifle through the pages. "Well, only one. Written by a madman. It's barely readable, but I've marked a few passages."

"Not bad. Bit slow in the middle. Didn't you hate his girlfriend?" the Doctor rambled and then froze and stared down at the book. "No. No, hang on. Wait, wait, wait, wait wait."

Rose scrunched her nose as he pressed the book to his face. She sincerely hoped he would resist the urge to lick it, and her fingers itched to grab it from him. When his tongue darted out, she snatched it from him.

"Doctor. Can you not?" she complained and caught the smirk that River shot at her. Behind them, Amy poked her head out of the door.

"Doctor Song? Did you have more than one clip of the Angel?" she asked and River barely glanced back at her when answering.

"No, just the four seconds," she called and turned back to the Doctor, who had snatched the book back from a distracted Rose.

"Amy? Do you need me?" she called, but Amy had already retreated back into the drop ship.

"This book is wrong. What's wrong with this book? It's wrong," the Doctor was muttering, but Rose wasn't listening anymore, debating if she should follow Amy into the ship.

* * *

When Amy reentered the ship, the Angel had moved again. It was fully facing the camera now, hands by its side, lifeless eyes peering outward at her. Amy ignored the uncomfortable shift in her gut and focused back on the numbers. She missed the sound of the door closing with a soft hiss behind her as she counted.

11:25. 11:26. 11:27. 11:28. 11:24. 11:25…

* * *

"It's so strange when you go all babyface," River observed and leaned back on a table, clutching her diary to her chest. "How early is this for you?"

"Very early," he replied in clipped tones, focus still wholly on the very wrong book before him. River grinned at his admission.

"So you don't know who I am yet?" she asked smugly, already knowing the answer. The Doctor huffed and handed the book off to Rose, who began to flip through it.

"How do you know who I am? I don't always look the same."

"I've got pictures of all your faces. You never show up in the right order, though. I need the spotter's guide," she explained and held up her diary, smirking. Rose stared at the book for a few moments before looking up at them, ignoring the prickle of fear in the back of her mind.

"Pictures. Why aren't there pictures?" Rose asked and the Doctor snatched the book back from her.

* * *

When Amy looked up at the Angel again, it had moved closer to the monitor, arms spread in an image of contrite prayer. It felt mocking and arrogant. She reached for the remote to the screen, keeping her eyes on the Angel. For no reason, she reminded herself.

She clicked the button and the screen blacked out, before rebooting with the same image. She clicked it again. And again. And again. The screen wouldn't stay black. She sat down the remote and moved closer to the screen, her eyes narrowed as she studied the image.

"But you're just a recording. You can't move," she whispered to herself, partly in reassurance. She glanced down below the screen and reached for the plug. She gripped it and yanked, but it stayed put. She tightened her hold and pulled again, willing herself to stay calm. When the plug wouldn't budge, she glanced back up at the screen.

The Angel had moved. Its blank eyes and stone face filled the screen as it stared out at her, close enough to touch. Amy flinched and backed towards the doorway, nervously. Her hand reached out for the handle and she pulled on the door. It didn't open. Her eyes widened, still fixed on the Angel face, and felt cold dread flood her veins. The door was locked.

"Rose? Doctor?"

* * *

"This whole book, it's a warning about the Weeping Angels, so why no pictures? Why not show us what to look out for?" the Doctor asked, to no one in particular.

"There was a bit about images. What was that?" River reminded him and he flipped to the page.

"Yes. That which holds the image of an Angel becomes itself an Angel," he recited.

Rose spun on her heel and ran for the drop ship.

* * *

Amy pulled on the handle again in panic, forgetting to watch the screen as she pressed random buttons to help her unlock the door. When she looked back, the Angel was gone from the screen. It was instead projected in the room, life size and snarling as it reached out for her, frozen in stuttering black and white.

"Rose! Doctor!"

"Amy?" Rose grabbed the handle, yanking it quickly before slamming her hands on the door. She could hear Amy calling her name from the other side, and tried to keep herself calm.

River and the Doctor flew around the corner and the Doctor joined her at the door, faces pressed close to the door. River pulled open a control panel and began to rip wiring out.

"Amy? Are you alright? What's happening?" the Doctor asked, his voice level. Rose leaned back and began to kick the door.

"Doctor? Doctor, it's coming out of the television," Amy hissed through the door and Rose stopped her kicking to try the door handle again.

"Amy, listen to me. We're going to get you out of there." Rose pulled out her sonic screwdriver and began to scan the control panel.

"Don't take your eyes off it. Keep looking. It can't move if you're looking," the Doctor coached patiently. Rose abruptly growled and slammed her foot against the door again when it didn't respond to her sonic. She could feel the golden heat behind her eyes growing in pace with her fear.

"What's wrong?" River asked and Rose kicked the door again.

"Deadlocked," she hissed.

"There is no deadlock," River said nervously and Rose felt her stomach drop off. She pressed her face against the door, palm spread flat against it, fighting back her terror.

"Don't blink, Amy. Don't even blink," she instructed frantically. The Doctor ripped open another panel and began to sonic the wiring inside.

"What are you doing?" Rose asked, pulling out her screwdriver to try the handle itself.

"Cutting the power. It's using the screen, I'm turning the screen off," he explained and dropped the wiring abruptly. "No good, it's deadlocked the whole system."

"There's no deadlock," River cried exasperatedly and the Rose rounded on her.

"There is now," she hissed and pressed her face back against the door. "Amy? Can you turn it off?"

"Rose?" Amy called and Rose balled her hand into a fist against the door, willing her voice to stay calm. Desperately, she reached out for Amy's mind, but the searching golden tendrils of consciousness couldn't locate her without tangible contact.

"The screen. Can you turn it off?" she repeated.

"I tried," Amy answered.

"Try again, Amy."

"But don't take your eyes off the Angel," the Doctor added, yanking a thick black cord from the panel.

"I'm not," Amy snapped back through the door.

"Each time it moves, it'll move faster. Don't even blink." Rose could feel the panic threatening to overwhelm her and allowed her training to take over. She couldn't be a parent now. Amy recognized the shift in tone and mirrored her reaction with bravado.

"I'm not blinking. Have you ever tried not blinking?" she hissed, but when she spoke again, her voice had pitched upward in fear. "It just keeps switching back on. Rose, what do I do?"

"Yeah, that's the Angel," the Doctor called to her as he pulled another fistful of wires from the control panel. River abandoned her panel and Rose could hear the distinctive hiss of a torch begin behind her.

"But it's just a recording," Amy whispered and Rose bit back the instinct to scream and bang on the door some more. That wouldn't help now. Amy needed her to stay calm and collected. She needed her to coach her through it.

"No, Amy, listen to me. Anything that takes the image of an Angel is an Angel."

"What are you doing?" the Doctor asked once he noticed River's torch, and dropped the wires he'd been working on, dropping to her level. From Rose's angle, it didn't look like it'd even made a dent in the side of the ship.

"I'm trying to cut through. It's not even warm."

"There is no way in. It's not physically possible," the Doctor sneered and Rose's eyes shot to his in panic. If they couldn't get in…

"Rose, what's it going to do to me?" Amy asked from the other side, and Rose felt an internal crack on her façade at the pure fear in Amy's voice. She pressed her forehead against the door and squeezed her eyes shut in terror.

"Just keep looking at it. Don't stop looking," Rose answered and she felt her nails dig into the rough metal of the door as she struggled to keep her composure. The golden heat behind her eyes was starting to pulse in tandem with her racing heart.

"Just tell me," she softly pleaded and Rose felt her chest constrict. The Doctor sprinted back for the book on the Angels and began to flip through it rapidly as Amy continued to beg. "Tell me. Tell me!"

"Amy, not the eyes," the Doctor barked. "Look at the Angel but don't look at the eyes."

"Why?" Amy asked and Rose looked over at the Doctor, but he was absorbed in the section of the book he was relaying. He was shifting from foot to foot in agitation.

"What is it?" River asked, calm but urgent. Some functioning part of Rose's mind registered that she must have had formal training at one point, but her terror drowned anything else out.

"The eyes are not the windows of the soul. They are the doors. Beware what may enter there," he recited.

"What did you say?" Amy asked and the Doctor turned towards the door.

"Don't look at the eyes!"

"No, about images. What did you say about images?" Amy insisted.

"Whatever holds the image of an Angel is an Angel," River called and Rose was silently thankful she did. She was certain she couldn't keep her voice calm anymore.

Agonizing seconds of silence drug by and Rose began to push the door again. The Doctor pressed his shoulder into the door to help, but Rose heard the click of the lock too late. She and the Doctor practically fell into the room as the door allowed them entry, River close behind. Amy was alone and frozen in the center of the room, hand still raised, finger still on the remote's button. Rose scrambled to her feet and pulled Amy's frozen figure into a hug. She pulled back and placed hands on both sides of Amy's face.

"This is why I told you to stay in the TARDIS, yeah?" Rose choked out and felt her eyes water as the golden energy began to recede. The Doctor pulled the monitor's plug from the wall for good measure, and just stared at Amy in question.

"I froze it. There was a sort of blip on the tape and I froze it on the blip. It wasn't the image of an Angel anymore. That was good, yeah?" Amy waited for the Doctor to respond but he was scanning the plug and monitor. "It was, wasn't it? That was pretty good."

"That was amazing," River assured her and Rose dropped her arms from around Amy but hovered close to her side. The adrenaline that had been coursing through her body was slowly dissipating, leaving her a little shaky internally but finally calm.

"River, hug Amy," the Doctor ordered as he continued to scan the equipment.

"I already hugged her. Why can't you hug her?" Rose asked and snorted. The Doctor grinned at her before continuing his work.

"Because I'm busy."

"I'm fine," Amy insisted, but River pulled her into a hug anyways.

"You're brilliant," she insisted, with a pointed look at the Doctor.

"Thanks. Yeah I kind of creamed it, didn't I?" Amy mirrored River's look at him, but returned the hug.

"So it was here? That was the Angel?" Rose asked, and felt Amy's hand reach back for hers. They linked fingers and Rose gave her hand a small squeeze of reassurance. The Doctor pocketed his screwdriver and turned to them, crossing his arms.

"That was a projection of the Angel. It's reaching out, getting a good look at us. It's no longer dormant," he explained and grimaced at the thought.

A loud explosion sounded off outside and the drop ship shuddered. They all flinched at the noise and River looked out the doorway.

"We're through," she relayed and the Doctor nodded.

"Ok, now it starts."

She hopped off the ship and the Doctor followed her, motioning for Rose and Amy to follow, but Rose held Amy back for a moment to talk.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Rose asked and Amy nodded. "I'd rather you stay in the TARDIS for this Amy."

"I'm fine, promise," Amy sighed and rolled her eyes. Rose could see that it was mostly bravado, but she couldn't forbid her from coming along. She didn't travel with the Doctor to stay safe in the TARDIS when she'd joined him and neither did Amy. Rose bit her lip before finally nodding.

"Just stay close to me, yeah?" she asked and Amy nodded. Rose released her hand and started out of the drop ship. "Coming?"

"Yeah, coming. There's just something in my eye." Amy rubbed her fist into her eye gently and blinked a few times, pushing back the irritation. She would prove to Rose that she could do this. She had already stopped the Angel once. Now they would stop it again. With that final thought, she followed Rose out of the drop ship and towards the cliff face.

* * *

I am so sorry that this took so long to publish. I just now finished it. I feel terrible for making you wait so long! On the upside, I have finished up my final year and graduated college so I have much more free time! I'm hoping I can update this much more often now, maybe even get back to my once a week schedule.

As always, thank you so much for taking the time to read it and especially this time since it took so long to get up. Let me know what you think! I love reviews and I will try to respond to everyone!


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